Problems using Text for TV phone-ins identified

[El Gringo]

How does Endemol overcome these technical difficulties in European phone-in competitions or doesn't Europe use text message entries.

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/to...cle2932259.ece
BBC faces fresh phone-in scandal
November 23, 2007

A catalogue of phone-in voting errors plagued a high profile BBC programme, understood to be Comic Relief Does Fame Academy, according to an independent enquiry released yesterday by the public broadcaster.

Viewers were not told of the cost of calls in the charity talent competition where calls cost more than 50p, and some of the votes sent in by text message were not counted because they took too long to collate. This year the show, which aired in March, was won by socialite Tara Palmer-Tompkinson.

On one occasion, phone numbers for two of the contestants were displayed incorrectly on both BBC One and a later BBC Three show, and the error was only corrected when “a family member” of one of the contestants told the production team that a mistake had been made.

The problems are spelled out in a report prepared for the BBC by consultants Deloitte this summer, but only released yesterday after repeated requests. Deloitte’s enquiry found a string of problems with the management of phone-ins in six shows, but did not spell out how viewer votes were mislaid.

Deloitte’s enquiry also makes clear that “due to the inherent latency” in counting text message voting, it was not possible to count texts sent in about 15 minutes before the end of any vote. Given the limited nature of the enquiry it is possible that text votes were routinely not counted in any voting or competition.

None of the six programmes are named in the report — in an apparent attempt to protect the identity of those involved — but there is enough information in the document to conclude that the show known only as “Entertainment 2” is Comic Relief Does Fame Academy.

A checkbox shows that the programme took over 750,000 phone calls, that the competition was for charity, and, unusually for a major BBC programme, was produced externally. The Fame Academy format is produced by Endemol, and this version was to raise money for this year’s Comic Relief.

In a statement the BBC said that Deloitte’s examination “has not identified any major issues or systemic failings in BBC compliance within the programmes reviewed” although the broadcaster conceded that “has identified a few instances of minor deviations from BBC best practice or guidelines”.

A similar enquiry by Deloitte for ITV, which looked at the commercial broadcaster’s flagship programmes, concluded that viewers had been deceived out of £7.8 million, in making calls in competitions and votes that did not count.

A catalogue of phone-in voting errors plagued a high profile BBC programme, understood to be Comic Relief Does Fame Academy, according to an independent enquiry released yesterday by the public broadcaster.

Viewers were not told of the cost of calls in the charity talent competition where calls cost more than 50p, and some of the votes sent in by text message were not counted because they took too long to collate. This year the show, which aired in March, was won by socialite Tara Palmer-Tompkinson.

On one occasion, phone numbers for two of the contestants were displayed incorrectly on both BBC One and a later BBC Three show, and the error was only corrected when “a family member” of one of the contestants told the production team that a mistake had been made.

The problems are spelled out in a report prepared for the BBC by consultants Deloitte this summer, but only released yesterday after repeated requests. Deloitte’s enquiry found a string of problems with the management of phone-ins in six shows, but did not spell out how viewer votes were mislaid.

Deloitte’s enquiry also makes clear that “due to the inherent latency” in counting text message voting, it was not possible to count texts sent in about 15 minutes before the end of any vote. Given the limited nature of the enquiry it is possible that text votes were routinely not counted in any voting or competition.

None of the six programmes are named in the report — in an apparent attempt to protect the identity of those involved — but there is enough information in the document to conclude that the show known only as “Entertainment 2” is Comic Relief Does Fame Academy.

A checkbox shows that the programme took over 750,000 phone calls, that the competition was for charity, and, unusually for a major BBC programme, was produced externally. The Fame Academy format is produced by Endemol, and this version was to raise money for this year’s Comic Relief.

In a statement the BBC said that Deloitte’s examination “has not identified any major issues or systemic failings in BBC compliance within the programmes reviewed” although the broadcaster conceded that “has identified a few instances of minor deviations from BBC best practice or guidelines”.

A similar enquiry by Deloitte for ITV, which looked at the commercial broadcaster’s flagship programmes, concluded that viewers had been deceived out of £7.8 million, in making calls in competitions and votes that did not count.

[DavidKnell]

These things are easily dealt with.

For example, for text voting, don't bill the user for sending a message, but for receiving a confirmation that their vote's been counted, and only send them to user whose votes have been counted. A proportion of users then won't be billed (e.g. if they've a PAYG mobile with no credit) but that's hardly a disaster.

For PRS calls, don't answer them outside the times that they should be answered. If possible, play an uncharged network message informing the user that the lines are closed.

The fact that the companies providing the voting infrastructure have generally failed to implement basic consumer safeguards - as above - is indicative of their general attitude towards the consumer, which has shone through in various other ways in the last few months.

--Dave

[mike99]

@ Dave

You have hit the nail on the head here.

All these things are easily dealt with - for example we could stop unsolicited reverse charge sms tomorrow simply by insisting on verifiable opt in methods and meaningful sanctions (such as bars on sending reverse charge sms with any content provider) - what is lacking is the will to deal honestly with the public or to protect the public from dishonest practice. This lack of will seems to be found, not just amongst the so called "regulators" and throughout the PR industry, but also in the TV companies and other sectors that use the services of the "industry" and throughout the government.