GCap Fined Record £1.1m

Ofcom has fined 30 radio stations within GCap Media’s One Network a total of £1.1 million for unfair conduct in a competition.

This is the highest fine ever imposed by the regulator on a UK commercial radio company.

Ofcom found that on a number of occasions the programme makers behind the ‘Secret Sound’ competition deliberately put to air text entrants with incorrect answers in order to prevent the prize from being won too soon.

The regulator said that the “seriousness of the compliance failures was compounded by some of the actions taken by GCap after the incidents had come to light”.

It has also directed each of the 30 licensees to broadcast a summary of its findings on two separate occasions.

The Ofcom fine is the second time GCap has been reprimanded over the ‘Secret Sound’ competition.

Last year, premium-rate phone line regulator Icstis fined the company £17,500 and issued a formal reprimand (see GCap Joins C4 In Axing Profit-Making Phone-In Comps).

After last year’s fine, GCap said that it would be axing premium-rate phone-in competitions for profit.

Ofcom: 020 7981 3040 www.ofcom.org.uk