'No Deal' supplier receives £30,000 fine

The phone operator for Channel 4 quiz show Deal or No Deal has been fined £30,000 for misleading viewers.

The premium rate services regulator Icstis also reprimanded the company iTouch for breaching its code of conduct.

The fine relates to the part of Deal or No Deal where host Noel Edmonds invites viewers to call in to win either £1,000, £2,000 or £15,000. The prize is determined by a box opened at random at the end of the show. However, as the programme is pre-recorded weeks in advance, producers are already aware of the prize when they advertise the competition.

Icstis' adjudication stated that "at the point of calling viewers will consider that any one of the three amounts is available to be won and will enter the competition on this basis, " and that the competition "increased the perception that the programme was live."

Channel 4 has said it was "surprised" the promotion had been ruled as misleading as it had sort legal advice with regards Icstis compliance, as well as discussing the competition with the regulator earlier in the year.

As well as scrapping all other profit making premium rate phone ins, the broadcaster has previously said any profit made by the competition will be donated to charity.