ICSTIS, the premium rate services regulator, has today issued tough new rules to boost consumer trust and confidence in Quiz TV services. The new measures, which will come into force in four weeks’ time, will give viewers a better understanding of their chances of getting through to programmes, as well as giving them clearer information about the cost of each call they make to participate. The three key areas of change are as follows:
Transparency
The chances of acceptance or rejection of an attempt by a viewer to get beyond the first stage must be shown on-screen in near real-time. A prominent and permanently visible stand-alone display showing the total number of entries to the service in the preceding 15-minute period is now required. This must be updated at no more than 10-minute intervals.
Pricing Information
Pricing information must be spoken by a presenter or voice-over at intervals of no more than 10 minutes. This will complement existing pricing information requirements, which ensure call costs are given on-screen and as part of the recorded introductory message on the phone lines themselves.
Call Cost Warnings
Call cost warnings must be provided to all callers at intervals of no more than each £10 spent in each calendar day. Alternatively, warnings may be provided at set call intervals in any calendar day that equate to accumulations of £10 of call spend (for example, after every tenth call where the cost of each call is £1).