Media
ITV will suspend all premium phone services and take its ITV Play gaming channel off-air while an independent audit into all its premium-rate participation output takes place.
The move comes after it emerged that ICSTIS, the premium rate services regulator, was conducting investigations into The X Factor and Saturday Night Takeaway.
The suspension will result in the ITV Play channel being temporarily pulled off air. Play-branded programming will be replaced on ITV1 and ITV2, and any premium rate participation elements will be removed from other programmes on all ITV channels.
As the audit progresses, each show will be permitted to resume running premium rate participation elements as it is cleared; however, it is not known whether Dancing On Ice, which goes out on Saturday night, will be green-lighted in time.
ITV chief operating officer John Cresswell said: "Millions of people enjoy interacting with ITV - either by voting in our entertainment shows or by taking part in prize competitions. It is critical that our viewers have absolute confidence in the services that we offer.
"We believe that all programmes currently on air are compliant. However, in light of recent concern around this issue, something affecting every major broadcaster, we are conducting this independent review to ensure that ITV is meeting all relevant codes and regulations.
"We've asked the auditors to report back to us with some urgency. The interactive elements in each programme will be re-introduced as they are independently signed off. We expect the review of current programmes to be both swift and thorough. The retrospective review will take longer due to the greater number of programmes involved."
The move comes after it emerged that ICSTIS, the premium rate services regulator, was conducting investigations into The X Factor and Saturday Night Takeaway.
The suspension will result in the ITV Play channel being temporarily pulled off air. Play-branded programming will be replaced on ITV1 and ITV2, and any premium rate participation elements will be removed from other programmes on all ITV channels.
As the audit progresses, each show will be permitted to resume running premium rate participation elements as it is cleared; however, it is not known whether Dancing On Ice, which goes out on Saturday night, will be green-lighted in time.
ITV chief operating officer John Cresswell said: "Millions of people enjoy interacting with ITV - either by voting in our entertainment shows or by taking part in prize competitions. It is critical that our viewers have absolute confidence in the services that we offer.
"We believe that all programmes currently on air are compliant. However, in light of recent concern around this issue, something affecting every major broadcaster, we are conducting this independent review to ensure that ITV is meeting all relevant codes and regulations.
"We've asked the auditors to report back to us with some urgency. The interactive elements in each programme will be re-introduced as they are independently signed off. We expect the review of current programmes to be both swift and thorough. The retrospective review will take longer due to the greater number of programmes involved."
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