Adam Sherwin
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ITV is expected today to admit problems with up to ten million calls to premium-rate competition and vote lines run for its leading entertainment programmes.
Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway will be one of the shows named and shamed in the report, compiled by the auditors Deloitte, into the network’s operations.
Michael Grade, ITV executive chairman, ordered the report after a series of premium-rate scandals. Senior ITV executives could lose their jobs when details are made public today.
Irregularities identified include phone lines being closed before calls were counted and callers not being able to enter competitions because of their geographical location.
Deloitte has investigated other Ant and Dec programmes, including Gameshow Marathon and I’m a Celebrity . . . Get Me Out of Here! The presenting duo were unaware of any problems with the calls they solicited on air.
The findings are separate to the scandal at GMTV, where up to 25 million callers were conned out of £35 million over four years.
ITV could be criticised for making details of the report available while attention is focused on the BBC’s difficulties. Ofcom could fine ITV, which will seek to bring control of future phone-line operations “in-house”. The broadcaster has already closed its ITV Play quiz channel after scandals.
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