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Channel 4 admits new phone error Channel 4 admits new phone error
(9 minutes later)
Channel 4 has pulled phone-ins from its coverage of Cheltenham week after discovering a problem on its horse racing show Morning Line. Channel 4 has pulled phone-ins from its coverage of Cheltenham week after discovering a problem on its horse-racing show The Morning Line.
Around 100 people were charged for calling the programme after lines closed, Chief Executive Andy Duncan told a Commons select committee.Around 100 people were charged for calling the programme after lines closed, Chief Executive Andy Duncan told a Commons select committee.
The mistake was discovered by auditors appointed to review Channel 4's live phone-ins following recent problems.The mistake was discovered by auditors appointed to review Channel 4's live phone-ins following recent problems.
Duncan said Channel 4 was contacting the callers to arrange refunds.Duncan said Channel 4 was contacting the callers to arrange refunds.
This comes as ITV denied reported mistakes with vote-counting on reality show I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here. The error was apparently due to a computer glitch at phone service provider Eckoh.
The Sun newspaper claimed contestant David Gest was thrown off the show in error after 30,000 text votes intended to save the star were not counted. The company also provides services to Richard and Judy, Saturday Kitchen and Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway - all of which are under investigation by phone line watchdog Icstis.
Gest was an early favourite to win the ITV show"This accusation is completely wrong," said ITV in a statement. "On the night of David Gest's eviction all votes were counted and verified." Duncan said that if competitions returned to its horse-racing coverage, Channel 4 would probably use "somebody else" to run the phone-in.
Premium phone line watchdog Icstis says it is looking into the claims, but has not launched a formal investigation. Gest was an early favourite to win ITV's I'm A Celebrity...This comes as ITV denied reported mistakes with vote-counting on reality show I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here.
"We are still at the stage of gathering evidence," said an Icstis spokeswoman. "If the service provider can disprove the claims, we will not need to proceed with an investigation." The Sun newspaper claimed David Gest was evicted from last year's series after 30,000 text votes intended to save the star were not counted.
Leaked e-mails "This accusation is completely wrong," said ITV in a statement. "On the night of David Gest's eviction all votes were counted and verified."
The Sun claims it has received leaked e-mails from the day after Gest's eviction from the reality show which say: "David Gest shouldn't have been voted out last night. It should have been Myleene Klass! Icstis says it is looking into the claims, but has not launched a formal investigation.
"We had over 30,000 votes come in late to save David, but we had to give the fig[ures] to the production team so they could announce the live results." I don't think the importance of compliance has really sunk in ITV Chairman Michael Grade on phone-in regulations Speaking to the Commons select committee, ITV Chairman Michael Grade said he was "really surprised" the Sun had published the "very serious allegation".
According to the paper, ITV believes the e-mails are fakes. Grade also defended the use of interactive votes on ITV's shows.
Showbusiness impresario Gest, 53, had been the bookmakers' favourite to win the jungle-based show but was evicted on the programme's penultimate night. "If you provide a service that the public enjoy and that the public is not compelled to use, it seems to me that this is a perfectly legitimate exercise, and one in which it is perfectly proper to make a margin of profit," he said.
Singer and TV presenter Klass eventually took second place. The show was won by former Busted band member Matt Willis. However, Grade admitted that programme staff had not understood the importance of complying with phone-in regulations.
"In the excitement of a live gallery - which is a pretty fevered place on a big network show - I don't think the training and the importance of compliance has really sunk in," he said.
Grade also revealed that the number of votes had risen on last week's episode of Dancing on Ice, suggesting that confidence had not been affected by the current problems.
Heavy finesHeavy fines
Last Thursday, Icstis chairman Sir Alistair Graham unveiled a series of measures designed to restore confidence in TV phone-ins after a series of allegations that callers were being ripped off.Last Thursday, Icstis chairman Sir Alistair Graham unveiled a series of measures designed to restore confidence in TV phone-ins after a series of allegations that callers were being ripped off.
The regulator is setting up a licensing scheme designed to define who has responsibility for each part of a phone-in programme.The regulator is setting up a licensing scheme designed to define who has responsibility for each part of a phone-in programme.
Other measures announced were a systematic monitoring of premium phone services and the publication of clear rules on competitions.Other measures announced were a systematic monitoring of premium phone services and the publication of clear rules on competitions.
Sir Alistair also warned that TV shows found to be cheating viewers could face fines and be reported to the police.Sir Alistair also warned that TV shows found to be cheating viewers could face fines and be reported to the police.
Icstis is currently investigating six shows: Channel 4's Richard and Judy, the BBC's Saturday Kitchen and ITV programmes, Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, The X Factor, Soapstar Superstar and I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!Icstis is currently investigating six shows: Channel 4's Richard and Judy, the BBC's Saturday Kitchen and ITV programmes, Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, The X Factor, Soapstar Superstar and I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!