GMTV head resigns over phone-in con claims

GMTV's managing director Paul Corley has resigned over claims that the breakfast broadcaster had conned viewers out of as much as £40 million over four years.

In April GMTV was forced to apologise after an investigation by Panorama alleged that its phone-in operator, Opera Interactive Technology, had been accepting entries to premium-rate competitions after lines had closed.

"It is important that people take responsibility when mistakes are made that threaten the trust of our viewers," said Corley. "I hope that my resignation, and the strong measures we have put in place, will help to restore that trust in GMTV."

Corley's announcement coincides with the conclusion of an audit by Deloitte and the introduction of new phone-in operational procedures. They include appointing a compliance officer to monitor all premium-rate services and regular inspections of all service providers. No premium rate competitions will conclude in the same day's programme, and any winners will be randomly selected by GMTV employees.

Deloitte has compiled a database of viewers who may have been affected by the scandal, all of whom will be eligible for refund.

Corley will oversee implementation of the new measures before departing in September.