Jowell: Regulators may get more power

Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Tessa Jowell, has said that Ofcom and Icstis could be given more statutory powers if the review into premium-rate phone-ins shows they don't have enough "regulatory control."

In an interview with The Times, she said: "Let's judge whether the existing legislation gives Ofcom and Icstis enough regulatory control and, if not, let's review it, because there is clearly a problem that has been growing because of an enthusiasm for this particular type of television."

Jowell added that complaints made against programmes like Richard & Judy and The X Factor were "very serious indeed."

"My message to the broadcasters is that they must not forget the level of trust that people hold in public service broadcasters and you lose that trust and confidence at your peril. Any activity that exploits people – which extracts from them more money than they intend to spend – I think has got to be clamped down on very hard," she said.

Icstis is currently investigating six shows: Richard & Judy, The X Factor, Saturday Kitchen, I'm a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway and Soapstar Superstar.