Quiz channel
Encyclopedia
A quiz channel is a television
channel
that focuses on phone-in quiz
zes. The quizzes usually focus on puzzles, such as filling in blanks, identifying subjects, or other forms of word puzzles.
The first dedicated quiz channel is considered to be Germany
's 9Live
, which launched on September 1, 2001. The best known example in the United Kingdom
is Quiz TV
(2004–2006), the first to launch in that country. Two major commercial television networks, ITV
and Channel 4 Television Corporation
, through Ostrich Media
launched ITV Play
and Quiz Call
respectively to capitalize on the phenomenon. There are a large amount of quiz channels, particularly on satellite television
, with many clones of each other. They are most common at night, where many smaller channels close down and show the quiz channel content in return for a share of the revenue. Portugal
also has a substantial amount of quiz programmes, especially on terrestrial channels (including public RTP
), however in the daytime they are disguised as pimba
-themed talk shows, with blatant phone-in cutaways and quiz participation.
Due to a number of incidents where the fairness of quiz channels and shows came to the attention of the media and regulators in the UK, a number of broadcasters have switched to other types of participation television, focusing primarily on roulette
but also bingo and other casino
games as well as branching out into other forms of participation television, such as televised sex line
s.
s, "impossible" questions and gambling. Often it is far from clear how it is possible to reach the suggested 'right' answer. Some people who are heavily involved in the quiz industry in the UK have complained about the standard and ambiguity of the questions used on the programme. Questions in some games, as an example, Quizmania's
tower games are usually very easy and open ended, often with scores of possible answers, but only a handful of which win prizes. This means that the competition becomes less of a quiz and more like a game of chance. A Culture, Media and Sports select committee report suggested that the odds of a viewer getting through to the studio is up to 8,500 to one and for an ITV Play
show, 400 to one.
Some estimates suggest that phone-in quizzes generate around £50 million a year for broadcasters, making them a crucial source of income at a time of increasing pressure on advertising revenue.
The Mail on Sunday
stated in an article that 15% of complaints made to Ofcom
are from participation TV shows. Gordon Brown
has criticised the participation TV shows and channels for exploiting the poor
.
Ofcom is now considering a proposal to class participation TV channels in the same way as teleshopping
channels. This would give consumers more protection against fraudulent channels. According to an article in The Times
, Ofcom was expected to receive an estimated 800 complaints about quiz channels in 2007, an increase from 450 in 2005.
In the Netherlands, call-in quizzes were officially banned by law after losing all network support in November 2007. These programs still air in Belgium, but are losing popularity due to blatant fraud
committed by the hosts. In 2011, the last channel broadcasting the games notified to cancel the show, after the television show Basta
revealed fraud on large scale.
said that no action would be taken on any of the quiz channel operators until the parties had reported their findings. The Gambling commission said they would look into British Sky Broadcasting
's concerns over quiz channels that quiz channels are a form of gambling
and should be regulated. Nick Rust from BSkyB, said to the committee that quiz channels should be considered gambling. The committee heard evidence from Ofcom, the Citizens Advice Bureau
, television executives and individuals.
Points raised included the price of calls, whether the player got through or not. Jeff Henry, a director of ITV consumer said that one in four hundred players have a chance in getting through to The Mint
programme. Jeff Henry also stated that by putting up details that there is a one in four hundred chance of winning, then "it would be out of date and we would be accused of misleading you." Points also raised were the answers given for questions set, including an example from ITV Play
programme Quizmania
, where the obscure answers Rawlplug
s and balaclava were given for a question on the contents of a woman's handbag
, and examples of where callers were cut off from calling Quiz Call
for forty minutes. The commission was also told that viewers are encouraged to call in but are not told that they only have a 0.5% chance of getting through.
Shari Vahl, from BBC Radio 4
's You and Yours programme told the committee that one woman had spent £1,500 on calls and suggested that programmes get 200 calls a minute, which makes getting through to the studio a slim chance. However, producers and operators of quiz shows and channels have stated that only a small minority of people have a problem with being addicted to calling shows and channels.
and not a game of skill
.
The report made a few recommendations as to how the industry should be regulated. These include more transparency to viewers on the odds of getting through to the studio, including a recommendation of the odds of getting through being shown through an on-screen graphic
. The report also said that questions should be verified by a third party before they can be broadcast
.
was the subject of a City of London Police
investigation brought by the BBC Radio 4
programme You and Yours in May 2006 over allegations that receptionists were told to ignore all incoming calls for long periods of time while 150-200 calls per minute were clocked up at 75p a time. NTL
subsequently removed the channel from their channel line-up on the 7th of June.
The City of London Police said there would be no charges brought against the channel, following its investigation.
made an attempt to counter the problems somewhat by moving the EPG
numbers of the channels on its Sky Digital service to the 840's section under the heading of "Gaming and Dating". Many of the quiz channels got around this by broadcasting on other channels, notably the general entertainment channels.
Although British Sky Broadcasting has had quiz programming on its Sky branded channels before (for example, Sky Quiz Live on Sky One Mix
), British Sky Broadcasting has avoided placing quiz programming on any of its branded channels, stating that such a move would damage the reputation of the company.
are allowed to run lotteries. Any prize competitions in newspapers, magazines and television shows have to be "games of skill". However, many programme makers either have a strange definition of skill, or remarkably low expectations of their viewers. In an effort to crack down on unofficial lotteries the Government is insisting that television phone-in quizzes become harder.
In August 2006, the Gambling Commission
in the United Kingdom
started a consultation regarding the way that participation television operate. The consultation is designed to clear up the confusion between prize competitions, free draws and lotteries, ahead of the Gambling Act 2005, which came into force in September 2007. If the consultation shows that participation TV shows and channels operate more like lotteries rather than games of skill, they could be required by law to give 20% of their revenue to charity.
Under the new Gambling
Act, the Gambling Commission
will have the power to prosecute broadcasters if it believes they are persistently flouting the law by running illegal lotteries. "There are already rules, but what the Gambling Act does is introduce a better definition so that the rules are enforceable", said a spokesman for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. "At the moment the rules are not clear enough to prevent these kinds of quizzes where the questions are ridiculously easy in order to maximise the number of entrants".
Broadcasters are contesting the proposals, stating that the channels are not a lottery
because they have a free web entry system in place on their websites, by law, which allow any individual to enter a competition for free.
On October 10, 2006, ICSTIS announced that it would be investigating participation television channels after complaints it received from the public into concerns that players are paying too much to enter the quizzes by phone. ICSTIS also said that it wanted callers to know how much each call would cost them and the odds of winning any prize. ICSTIS raised concern that players were unaware that they would be charged for each call regardless of whether the player got through to the studio or not.
On March 9, 2007 in the wake of a number of technical problems and controversies over premium rate phone-ins on television shows and quiz channels, ICSTIS warned television companies that any illegal operating would be investigated by the police. ICSTIS also announced measures to bring in licensing
to restore public confidence in competitions.
, The Mint
and other, similar phone-in quiz shows and television channels have been levelled by various groups of people.
An article on the BBC website noted that "ICSTIS - the organisation that regulates premium rate telephone services in the UK - had acknowledged that the growth in the number of puzzle channels has been "matched by an increase in complaints about them".
According to this article, "nearly 10% of all enquiries about premium rate services received by Icstis between September and November last year were specifically regarding television contests".
Despite the criticisms, Quizmania became the first live and interactive quizshow to broadcast on analogue terrestrial television
article published on September 24, Quiz Call admitted that it had taken calls at 75p a call without any chance of the callers getting through for a chance to win and Quiz Call apologised for using its own staff members to pose as winners. Channel 4 have since sold off Quiz Call due to increasing levels of bad reputation from the channel.
In the Culture, Media and Sport committee held on November 28, 2006 representatives from Quiz Call admitted that one instance of people being put on hold did occur and that the producer responsible no longer works for Ostrich Media.
(who operate Quiz Call) have started limiting the number of phone calls a participant can make to their shows in a day. ITV only allows a participant 100 entries a day whereas when they first started this figure was 150 a day. Ostrich Media has a limit of 140 entries. The measures were put in place to safeguard players from becoming gambling addicts.
viewers.
Richard & Judy
on Channel 4
were accused of encouraging viewers to enter the 'You Say We Pay' segment after the winner had been picked. The competition was indefinitely suspended soon afterwards and was later cancelled permanently. Channel 4 Racing
was also affected after a software glitch allowed callers to enter a competition even though the competition had ended.
ITV
suspended all programmes involving premium rate phone-ins on 5 March 2007, including its quiz channel ITV Play
. This was to allow independent audit
or Deloitte
to conduct a review of programmes carried by ITV including Dancing on Ice
and The X Factor
which use phone-ins to generate revenue to ensure they are run fairly. ITV Play was taken off the air during the review, but for a few days it ran a limited after midnight service for only four hours before on March 13, ITV announced that ITV Play had been permanently closed down.
Five followed suit when they were alleged to have displayed the name of a fictional winner on BrainTeaser
after they failed to find a genuine winner. Five was later fined £300,000 by Ofcom
- the highest ever amount from the broadcasting watchdog.
The BBC
was also affected by these scandals. Saturday Kitchen
on BBC One
were accused of encouraging viewers to phone in to a pre-recorded programme. On 14 March 2007 the BBC children's programme Blue Peter
was revealed to have used a girl who was visiting the studio to pose as a caller live on the show. The BBC stated that a technical error prevented 14,000 callers from getting a chance to win in the competition.. Konnie Huq
apologised over the phone-in problem on the March 14 airing of Blue Peter.
On 20 March 2007 it was revealed that 11,500 votes for the Dancing on Ice final three days earlier on ITV
were lost as they were not delivered to Vodafone
until the following Monday morning. On 23 April 2007, a BBC
Panorama
investigation disclosed that callers to GMTV
's phone-in competitions may have been defrauded out of millions of pounds, because the telephone system operator, Opera Interactive Technology, had determined the winners before the phone lines had closed. GMTV responded by suspending the phone-in quizzes, but claimed that "it was confident it had not breached regulators' codes". Opera Interactive also denied any wrongdoing.
The BBC suspended all phone-in competitions indefinitely on 18 July 2007, after further revelations about faked competition winners, including incidents during the charity broadcasts Comic Relief and Children in Need
.
British tabloid newspapers reported on 26 July 2007 that ITV's broadcast of the 2005 British Comedy Awards
had also been conning viewers. According to a report in The Sun
, viewers telephoned a premium-rate number to vote for the People's Choice Award during what was claimed to be a live broadcast; yet, at 22:30, the show went to a news broadcast, so that when the show returned, viewers thought it was still live, and thus still phoned the number, when the last half-hour was in fact a recording as the vote had already finished, rendering the call-in votes given during the recording pointless and a misuse of the callers' money.
Argentina
Colombia
United States
Although there are no quiz channels in the U.S., these are interactive programs similar to quiz channels:
Belgium
Germany
Shortly after adoption of the Rundfunkstaatsvertrag (broadcast treaty) in September 2008, which allows the regulators to impose fines to the channels in case of irregularity, several channels announced the end of phone-in quizzes.
Croatia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Serbia
Slovenia
Italy
Poland
Portugal
Russia
Spain
United Kingdom
Former Quiz Programmes & Channels
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
channel
Television channel
A television channel is a physical or virtual channel over which a television station or television network is distributed. For example, in North America, "channel 2" refers to the broadcast or cable band of 54 to 60 MHz, with carrier frequencies of 55.25 MHz for NTSC analog video and...
that focuses on phone-in quiz
Quiz
A quiz is a form of game or mind sport in which the players attempt to answer questions correctly. In some countries, a quiz is also a brief assessment used in education and similar fields to measure growth in knowledge, abilities, and/or skills.Quizzes are usually scored in points and many...
zes. The quizzes usually focus on puzzles, such as filling in blanks, identifying subjects, or other forms of word puzzles.
The first dedicated quiz channel is considered to be Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
's 9Live
9Live
9Live was a commercial German participation TV channel launched on September 1, 2001 and lasted until August 9, 2011. It originated from a channel called tm3. Most of its programming is lottery and quiz games, in which the viewer can participate over the phone...
, which launched on September 1, 2001. The best known example in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
is Quiz TV
Quiz TV
Quiz TV was a popular British television interactive gameshow which screened on Digital satellite and cable TV from 14 June 2004 to 23 June 2006. It was a premium-line call-in show, viewers were encouraged to phone a premium-rate number in order to provide an answer to a quiz question....
(2004–2006), the first to launch in that country. Two major commercial television networks, ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
and Channel 4 Television Corporation
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
, through Ostrich Media
Ostrich Media
Ostrich Media is a British company, best known as the owner of interactive quiz show, Quiz Call. Up until October 2006, it was a wholly owned subsidiary of 4Ventures Limited, which is itself a subsidiary of the public-service commercial broadcaster Channel 4 Television Corporation...
launched ITV Play
ITV Play
ITV Play was a 24/7 participation television channel in the United Kingdom owned by ITV plc. The ITV Play name continued on the ITV Network until December 2007....
and Quiz Call
Quiz Call
Quiz Call is a late night/early morning phone-in quiz TV show, produced by Ostrich Media for Five, Five USA and Fiver.- Launch :...
respectively to capitalize on the phenomenon. There are a large amount of quiz channels, particularly on satellite television
Satellite television
Satellite television is television programming delivered by the means of communications satellite and received by an outdoor antenna, usually a parabolic mirror generally referred to as a satellite dish, and as far as household usage is concerned, a satellite receiver either in the form of an...
, with many clones of each other. They are most common at night, where many smaller channels close down and show the quiz channel content in return for a share of the revenue. Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
also has a substantial amount of quiz programmes, especially on terrestrial channels (including public RTP
Rádio e Televisão de Portugal
Rádio e Televisão de Portugal, S.A.,commonly known as RTP, is Portugal's public service broadcasting organization. It operates four terrestrial television channels and three national radio channels, as well as several satellite and cable offerings....
), however in the daytime they are disguised as pimba
Pimba
Pimba is a Portuguese depreciatory term used for qualifying a variety of popular Portuguese pop and folk solo singers as well as bands, possibly inspired in Schlager, who focus on simplistic catchy songs with rough lyrics frequently driven by metaphors with sexual meanings, or focused on basic and...
-themed talk shows, with blatant phone-in cutaways and quiz participation.
Due to a number of incidents where the fairness of quiz channels and shows came to the attention of the media and regulators in the UK, a number of broadcasters have switched to other types of participation television, focusing primarily on roulette
Roulette
Roulette is a casino game named after a French diminutive for little wheel. In the game, players may choose to place bets on either a single number or a range of numbers, the colors red or black, or whether the number is odd or even....
but also bingo and other casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
games as well as branching out into other forms of participation television, such as televised sex line
Televised sex line
The televised sex line is a style of pornographic television programming that has developed in Europe since 2001. Broadcast live from a studio, the shows usually feature female presenters advertising a phone sex line at a premium rate, through which callers can also see the woman they are talking...
s.
Criticism of Quiz channels
Quiz channels have received large number of complaints due to use of premium-rate telephone numberPremium-rate telephone number
Premium-rate telephone numbers are telephone numbers for telephone calls during which certain services are provided, and for which prices higher than normal are charged. Unlike a normal call, part of the call charge is paid to the service provider, thus enabling businesses to be funded via the calls...
s, "impossible" questions and gambling. Often it is far from clear how it is possible to reach the suggested 'right' answer. Some people who are heavily involved in the quiz industry in the UK have complained about the standard and ambiguity of the questions used on the programme. Questions in some games, as an example, Quizmania's
Quizmania
Quizmania was a popular British interactive gameshow. The show was devised by Chuck Thomas, Debbie King, and Simone Thorogood and produced by Fremantle Media for Information TV and ITV . Currently, the online revival is produced by Screen Pop Ltd. in association with Illumina Digital...
tower games are usually very easy and open ended, often with scores of possible answers, but only a handful of which win prizes. This means that the competition becomes less of a quiz and more like a game of chance. A Culture, Media and Sports select committee report suggested that the odds of a viewer getting through to the studio is up to 8,500 to one and for an ITV Play
ITV Play
ITV Play was a 24/7 participation television channel in the United Kingdom owned by ITV plc. The ITV Play name continued on the ITV Network until December 2007....
show, 400 to one.
Some estimates suggest that phone-in quizzes generate around £50 million a year for broadcasters, making them a crucial source of income at a time of increasing pressure on advertising revenue.
The Mail on Sunday
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
stated in an article that 15% of complaints made to Ofcom
Ofcom
Ofcom is the government-approved regulatory authority for the broadcasting and telecommunications industries in the United Kingdom. Ofcom was initially established by the Office of Communications Act 2002. It received its full authority from the Communications Act 2003...
are from participation TV shows. Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
has criticised the participation TV shows and channels for exploiting the poor
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
.
Ofcom is now considering a proposal to class participation TV channels in the same way as teleshopping
Infomercial
Infomercials are direct response television commercials which generally include a phone number or website. There are long-form infomercials, which are typically between 15 and 30 minutes in length, and short-form infomercials, which are typically 30 seconds to 120 seconds in length. Infomercials...
channels. This would give consumers more protection against fraudulent channels. According to an article in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, Ofcom was expected to receive an estimated 800 complaints about quiz channels in 2007, an increase from 450 in 2005.
In the Netherlands, call-in quizzes were officially banned by law after losing all network support in November 2007. These programs still air in Belgium, but are losing popularity due to blatant fraud
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
committed by the hosts. In 2011, the last channel broadcasting the games notified to cancel the show, after the television show Basta
Basta
Basta is a village on the island of Yell in the Shetland Isles, Scotland. It is on the shores of Basta Voe....
revealed fraud on large scale.
Scandals in Britain
Most of the major controversies involving participatory television have occurred in the United Kingdom, where these shows have been late-night staples on some channels.Culture, media and sport select committee hearing
On November 28, 2006, an all-party Culture, Media and Sport select committee held a hearing into the concerns regarding the way that quiz channels operate. The broadcasting minister, Shaun WoodwardShaun Woodward
Shaun Anthony Woodward is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for St Helens South since 2001. He served in the Cabinet from 28 June 2007 to 11 May 2010 as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland...
said that no action would be taken on any of the quiz channel operators until the parties had reported their findings. The Gambling commission said they would look into British Sky Broadcasting
British Sky Broadcasting
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc is a satellite broadcasting, broadband and telephony services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, with operations in the United Kingdom and the Ireland....
's concerns over quiz channels that quiz channels are a form of gambling
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
and should be regulated. Nick Rust from BSkyB, said to the committee that quiz channels should be considered gambling. The committee heard evidence from Ofcom, the Citizens Advice Bureau
Citizens Advice Bureau
A Citizens Advice Bureau is one of a network of independent charities throughout the UK that give free, confidential information and advice to help people with their money, legal, consumer and other problems....
, television executives and individuals.
Points raised included the price of calls, whether the player got through or not. Jeff Henry, a director of ITV consumer said that one in four hundred players have a chance in getting through to The Mint
The Mint (game show)
The Mint was a live, late night, interactive quiz show with celebrity guests and live studio contestants filmed in a large extravagant set designed to look like the inside of a mansion. The programme, which was dogged by criticism that its questions were ambiguous and arbitrary, aired on ITV and...
programme. Jeff Henry also stated that by putting up details that there is a one in four hundred chance of winning, then "it would be out of date and we would be accused of misleading you." Points also raised were the answers given for questions set, including an example from ITV Play
ITV Play
ITV Play was a 24/7 participation television channel in the United Kingdom owned by ITV plc. The ITV Play name continued on the ITV Network until December 2007....
programme Quizmania
Quizmania
Quizmania was a popular British interactive gameshow. The show was devised by Chuck Thomas, Debbie King, and Simone Thorogood and produced by Fremantle Media for Information TV and ITV . Currently, the online revival is produced by Screen Pop Ltd. in association with Illumina Digital...
, where the obscure answers Rawlplug
Rawlplug
Rawlplug Ltd. is a British engineering company. It is named after Rawlplug, a tradename it owns, as a name for wall plugs. The rawlplug product was invented by John Joseph Rawlings in 1911....
s and balaclava were given for a question on the contents of a woman's handbag
Handbag
A handbag, or purse in American English, is a handled medium-to-large bag that is often fashionably designed, typically used by women, to hold personal items such as wallet/coins, keys, cosmetics, a hairbrush, pepper spray, cigarettes, mobile phone etc....
, and examples of where callers were cut off from calling Quiz Call
Quiz Call
Quiz Call is a late night/early morning phone-in quiz TV show, produced by Ostrich Media for Five, Five USA and Fiver.- Launch :...
for forty minutes. The commission was also told that viewers are encouraged to call in but are not told that they only have a 0.5% chance of getting through.
Shari Vahl, from BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
's You and Yours programme told the committee that one woman had spent £1,500 on calls and suggested that programmes get 200 calls a minute, which makes getting through to the studio a slim chance. However, producers and operators of quiz shows and channels have stated that only a small minority of people have a problem with being addicted to calling shows and channels.
Report findings
On January 25, 2007, the select committee released its report into the participation television channel industry. The committee said that the channels should be classed as gamblingGambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
and not a game of skill
Game of skill
A game of skill is a game where the outcome is determined mainly by mental and/or physical skill, rather than by pure chance.One benefit of games of skill is that they are a means of exploring one's own capabilities. Games encourage the player to look at, understand, and experience things...
.
The report made a few recommendations as to how the industry should be regulated. These include more transparency to viewers on the odds of getting through to the studio, including a recommendation of the odds of getting through being shown through an on-screen graphic
Digital on-screen graphic
A digital on-screen graphic is a watermark-like station logo that many television broadcasters overlay over a portion of the screen-area of their programs to identify the channel...
. The report also said that questions should be verified by a third party before they can be broadcast
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
.
BIG Game TV!
BIG Game TV!BIG Game TV!
Big Game TV was a live phone-in quiz channel which came under fire because of allegedly tricking callers out of money. The channel was called before a parliamentary committee...
was the subject of a City of London Police
City of London Police
The City of London Police is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement within the City of London, England, including the Middle and Inner Temple. The service responsible for law enforcement within the rest of Greater London is the Metropolitan Police Service, a separate...
investigation brought by the BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
programme You and Yours in May 2006 over allegations that receptionists were told to ignore all incoming calls for long periods of time while 150-200 calls per minute were clocked up at 75p a time. NTL
NTL Ireland
NTL Communications Limited was a cable television and Multichannel Multipoint Distribution Service company in the Republic of Ireland. As of 2005 it was owned by Liberty Global Europe , having been divested by NTL...
subsequently removed the channel from their channel line-up on the 7th of June.
The City of London Police said there would be no charges brought against the channel, following its investigation.
British Sky Broadcasting - Quiz channels move on Sky Digital EPG
British Sky BroadcastingBritish Sky Broadcasting
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc is a satellite broadcasting, broadband and telephony services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, with operations in the United Kingdom and the Ireland....
made an attempt to counter the problems somewhat by moving the EPG
Electronic program guide
Electronic program guides and interactive program guides provide users of television, radio, and other media applications with continuously updated menus displaying broadcast programming or scheduling information for current and upcoming programming...
numbers of the channels on its Sky Digital service to the 840's section under the heading of "Gaming and Dating". Many of the quiz channels got around this by broadcasting on other channels, notably the general entertainment channels.
Although British Sky Broadcasting has had quiz programming on its Sky branded channels before (for example, Sky Quiz Live on Sky One Mix
Sky2
Sky2 is a British television channel originally launched on 2 December 2002 as Sky One Mix. Sky2 is now available on Sky, Virgin Media, Smallworld Cable and TalkTalk TV platforms in the UK. It is also available in the Republic of Ireland on the UPC Ireland platform.-Rebrand:Sky One Mix was...
), British Sky Broadcasting has avoided placing quiz programming on any of its branded channels, stating that such a move would damage the reputation of the company.
Gambling Commission Participation TV consultation
By law, only charities and CamelotCamelot Group
Camelot GroupCamelot is a private limited company, its entire share issue is owned by a single shareholder, as detailed above. are the operators of the UK National Lottery. Camelot Group was awarded the National Lottery franchise in 1993 and was re-awarded the franchise in 2001 and again in 2007...
are allowed to run lotteries. Any prize competitions in newspapers, magazines and television shows have to be "games of skill". However, many programme makers either have a strange definition of skill, or remarkably low expectations of their viewers. In an effort to crack down on unofficial lotteries the Government is insisting that television phone-in quizzes become harder.
In August 2006, the Gambling Commission
Gambling Commission
The Gambling Commission is Great Britain's regulatory body for most, but not all, gambling.-History:It was established under the Gambling Act 2005 and assumed full powers in 2007, taking over responsibility from the Gaming Board for Great Britain, in regulating arcades, betting, bingo, casinos,...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
started a consultation regarding the way that participation television operate. The consultation is designed to clear up the confusion between prize competitions, free draws and lotteries, ahead of the Gambling Act 2005, which came into force in September 2007. If the consultation shows that participation TV shows and channels operate more like lotteries rather than games of skill, they could be required by law to give 20% of their revenue to charity.
Under the new Gambling
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
Act, the Gambling Commission
Gambling Commission
The Gambling Commission is Great Britain's regulatory body for most, but not all, gambling.-History:It was established under the Gambling Act 2005 and assumed full powers in 2007, taking over responsibility from the Gaming Board for Great Britain, in regulating arcades, betting, bingo, casinos,...
will have the power to prosecute broadcasters if it believes they are persistently flouting the law by running illegal lotteries. "There are already rules, but what the Gambling Act does is introduce a better definition so that the rules are enforceable", said a spokesman for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. "At the moment the rules are not clear enough to prevent these kinds of quizzes where the questions are ridiculously easy in order to maximise the number of entrants".
Broadcasters are contesting the proposals, stating that the channels are not a lottery
Lottery
A lottery is a form of gambling which involves the drawing of lots for a prize.Lottery is outlawed by some governments, while others endorse it to the extent of organizing a national or state lottery. It is common to find some degree of regulation of lottery by governments...
because they have a free web entry system in place on their websites, by law, which allow any individual to enter a competition for free.
ICSTIS
The United Kingdom premium phone regulator, ICSTIS has reported an increase in complaints about quiz shows and channels. A BBC News article stated that "nearly 10% of all enquiries about premium rate services received by ICSTIS between September and November last year were specifically regarding television contests".On October 10, 2006, ICSTIS announced that it would be investigating participation television channels after complaints it received from the public into concerns that players are paying too much to enter the quizzes by phone. ICSTIS also said that it wanted callers to know how much each call would cost them and the odds of winning any prize. ICSTIS raised concern that players were unaware that they would be charged for each call regardless of whether the player got through to the studio or not.
On March 9, 2007 in the wake of a number of technical problems and controversies over premium rate phone-ins on television shows and quiz channels, ICSTIS warned television companies that any illegal operating would be investigated by the police. ICSTIS also announced measures to bring in licensing
License
The verb license or grant licence means to give permission. The noun license or licence refers to that permission as well as to the document recording that permission.A license may be granted by a party to another party as an element of an agreement...
to restore public confidence in competitions.
ITV Play
Criticisms about QuizmaniaQuizmania
Quizmania was a popular British interactive gameshow. The show was devised by Chuck Thomas, Debbie King, and Simone Thorogood and produced by Fremantle Media for Information TV and ITV . Currently, the online revival is produced by Screen Pop Ltd. in association with Illumina Digital...
, The Mint
The Mint (game show)
The Mint was a live, late night, interactive quiz show with celebrity guests and live studio contestants filmed in a large extravagant set designed to look like the inside of a mansion. The programme, which was dogged by criticism that its questions were ambiguous and arbitrary, aired on ITV and...
and other, similar phone-in quiz shows and television channels have been levelled by various groups of people.
- Some people who are heavily involved in the quiz industry in the UK have complained about the standard and ambiguity of the questions used on the programme. Questions in the tower games (see above) are usually very easy and open ended, often with scores of possible answers, but only a handful of which win prizes. This means that the competition becomes less of a quiz and more like a game of chance.
- In a report for the Mail on Sunday, ITV admitted that they made money from customers who call in who do not get through to the studio. ITV also says that it plans to make £20million in profit from ITV Play.
- Organisations such as the Gambling Commissionhttp://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/Client/index.asp have expressed concerns that Quizmania and similar programmes encourage gambling. HM TreasuryHM TreasuryHM Treasury, in full Her Majesty's Treasury, informally The Treasury, is the United Kingdom government department responsible for developing and executing the British government's public finance policy and economic policy...
are currently examining the regulations surrounding phone-in quiz shows. Phone-in game shows are scrutinised by OfcomOfcomOfcom is the government-approved regulatory authority for the broadcasting and telecommunications industries in the United Kingdom. Ofcom was initially established by the Office of Communications Act 2002. It received its full authority from the Communications Act 2003...
, the UK's communications regulator and ICSTIS, who regulate premium rate phone numbers in the UK; both organisations have received complaints from viewers about phone-in game shows.
An article on the BBC website noted that "ICSTIS - the organisation that regulates premium rate telephone services in the UK - had acknowledged that the growth in the number of puzzle channels has been "matched by an increase in complaints about them".
According to this article, "nearly 10% of all enquiries about premium rate services received by Icstis between September and November last year were specifically regarding television contests".
Despite the criticisms, Quizmania became the first live and interactive quizshow to broadcast on analogue terrestrial television
Terrestrial television
Terrestrial television is a mode of television broadcasting which does not involve satellite transmission or cables — typically using radio waves through transmitting and receiving antennas or television antenna aerials...
Quiz Call
In a Sunday TimesThe Sunday Times (UK)
The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper, distributed in the United Kingdom. The Sunday Times is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International, which is in turn owned by News Corporation. Times Newspapers also owns The Times, but the two papers were founded...
article published on September 24, Quiz Call admitted that it had taken calls at 75p a call without any chance of the callers getting through for a chance to win and Quiz Call apologised for using its own staff members to pose as winners. Channel 4 have since sold off Quiz Call due to increasing levels of bad reputation from the channel.
In the Culture, Media and Sport committee held on November 28, 2006 representatives from Quiz Call admitted that one instance of people being put on hold did occur and that the producer responsible no longer works for Ostrich Media.
Call limits
Both ITV and Ostrich MediaOstrich Media
Ostrich Media is a British company, best known as the owner of interactive quiz show, Quiz Call. Up until October 2006, it was a wholly owned subsidiary of 4Ventures Limited, which is itself a subsidiary of the public-service commercial broadcaster Channel 4 Television Corporation...
(who operate Quiz Call) have started limiting the number of phone calls a participant can make to their shows in a day. ITV only allows a participant 100 entries a day whereas when they first started this figure was 150 a day. Ostrich Media has a limit of 140 entries. The measures were put in place to safeguard players from becoming gambling addicts.
Call Care
The Mail on Sunday reported that the major broadcasters in the United Kingdom are planning to set up a telephone service called Call Care which will offer support for players and help them with inquiries regarding participation TV shows and channels.2007 television phone-in scandals
In 2007, a series of scandals broke out involving allegations of phone-in segments of television programmes and quiz channels conningConfidence trick
A confidence trick is an attempt to defraud a person or group by gaining their confidence. A confidence artist is an individual working alone or in concert with others who exploits characteristics of the human psyche such as dishonesty and honesty, vanity, compassion, credulity, irresponsibility,...
viewers.
Richard & Judy
Richard & Judy
Richard & Judy was a British magazine/chat show which was presented by married couple Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan. It originally aired on Channel 4 from 2001 to 2008 but later moved to digital channel Watch in October 2008. It featured the world's most famous stars, along with their Book Club...
on Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
were accused of encouraging viewers to enter the 'You Say We Pay' segment after the winner had been picked. The competition was indefinitely suspended soon afterwards and was later cancelled permanently. Channel 4 Racing
Channel 4 Racing
Channel 4 Racing is the name given to the horse racing coverage on the British television station Channel 4.-History:The first transmission of racing on the channel was on 22 March 1984 from Doncaster, as it took over midweek coverage which had previously been on ITV...
was also affected after a software glitch allowed callers to enter a competition even though the competition had ended.
ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
suspended all programmes involving premium rate phone-ins on 5 March 2007, including its quiz channel ITV Play
ITV Play
ITV Play was a 24/7 participation television channel in the United Kingdom owned by ITV plc. The ITV Play name continued on the ITV Network until December 2007....
. This was to allow independent audit
Audit
The general definition of an audit is an evaluation of a person, organization, system, process, enterprise, project or product. The term most commonly refers to audits in accounting, but similar concepts also exist in project management, quality management, and energy conservation.- Accounting...
or Deloitte
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited , commonly referred to as Deloitte, is one of the Big Four accountancy firms along with PricewaterhouseCoopers , Ernst & Young, and KPMG....
to conduct a review of programmes carried by ITV including Dancing on Ice
Dancing on Ice (UK)
Dancing on Ice is a British television show co-hosted by Christine Bleakley and Philip Schofield, in which celebrities and their professional partners figure skate in front of a panel of judges. The format, devised by LWT and Granada Television, has been a prime-time hit in eight different...
and The X Factor
The X Factor (TV series)
The X Factor is a television talent show franchise originating in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for Pop Idol. It is a singing competition, now held in various countries, which pits contestants against each other. These contestants are aspiring pop singers drawn from...
which use phone-ins to generate revenue to ensure they are run fairly. ITV Play was taken off the air during the review, but for a few days it ran a limited after midnight service for only four hours before on March 13, ITV announced that ITV Play had been permanently closed down.
Five followed suit when they were alleged to have displayed the name of a fictional winner on BrainTeaser
BrainTeaser
BrainTeaser was a British game show, first broadcast in 2002, produced by Endemol UK subsidiary Cheetah Productions.BrainTeaser was live, with phone-in viewer puzzles being announced and played during the show in addition to the studio game...
after they failed to find a genuine winner. Five was later fined £300,000 by Ofcom
Ofcom
Ofcom is the government-approved regulatory authority for the broadcasting and telecommunications industries in the United Kingdom. Ofcom was initially established by the Office of Communications Act 2002. It received its full authority from the Communications Act 2003...
- the highest ever amount from the broadcasting watchdog.
The BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
was also affected by these scandals. Saturday Kitchen
Saturday Kitchen
Saturday Kitchen Live is a 90 minute cookery programme, which is broadcast live on BBC One on Saturday mornings. It is currently presented by James Martin; previous presenters have included Antony Worrall Thompson and Gregg Wallace. The programme is currently produced by Cactus TV...
on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
were accused of encouraging viewers to phone in to a pre-recorded programme. On 14 March 2007 the BBC children's programme Blue Peter
Blue Peter
Blue Peter is the world's longest-running children's television show, having first aired in 1958. It is shown on CBBC, both in its BBC One programming block and on the CBBC channel. During its history there have been many presenters, often consisting of two women and two men at a time...
was revealed to have used a girl who was visiting the studio to pose as a caller live on the show. The BBC stated that a technical error prevented 14,000 callers from getting a chance to win in the competition.. Konnie Huq
Konnie Huq
Kanak Asha "Konnie" Huq is a British television presenter, who is best known for being the longest-serving female presenter of Blue Peter, having presented it from 1 December 1997 until 23 January 2008...
apologised over the phone-in problem on the March 14 airing of Blue Peter.
On 20 March 2007 it was revealed that 11,500 votes for the Dancing on Ice final three days earlier on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
were lost as they were not delivered to Vodafone
Vodafone
Vodafone Group Plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the world's second-largest measured by subscribers , with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of...
until the following Monday morning. On 23 April 2007, a BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Panorama
Panorama (TV series)
Panorama is a BBC Television current affairs documentary programme, which was first broadcast in 1953, and is the longest-running public affairs television programme in the world. Panorama has been presented by many well known BBC presenters, including Richard Dimbleby, Robin Day, David Dimbleby...
investigation disclosed that callers to GMTV
GMTV
GMTV was the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 to 3 September 2010. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of ITV plc. in November 2009. Shortly after, ITV plc announced the programme would end...
's phone-in competitions may have been defrauded out of millions of pounds, because the telephone system operator, Opera Interactive Technology, had determined the winners before the phone lines had closed. GMTV responded by suspending the phone-in quizzes, but claimed that "it was confident it had not breached regulators' codes". Opera Interactive also denied any wrongdoing.
The BBC suspended all phone-in competitions indefinitely on 18 July 2007, after further revelations about faked competition winners, including incidents during the charity broadcasts Comic Relief and Children in Need
Children in Need
Children in Need is an annual British charity appeal organised by the BBC. Since 1980 it has raised over £500 million. The highlight of the Children in Need appeal is an annual telethon, held in November. A teddy bear named "Pudsey Bear" fronts the campaign, while Terry Wogan is a long...
.
British tabloid newspapers reported on 26 July 2007 that ITV's broadcast of the 2005 British Comedy Awards
British Comedy Awards
The British Comedy Awards is an annual awards ceremony in the United Kingdom celebrating notable comedians and entertainment performances of the previous year.-History:...
had also been conning viewers. According to a report in The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
, viewers telephoned a premium-rate number to vote for the People's Choice Award during what was claimed to be a live broadcast; yet, at 22:30, the show went to a news broadcast, so that when the show returned, viewers thought it was still live, and thus still phoned the number, when the last half-hour was in fact a recording as the vote had already finished, rendering the call-in votes given during the recording pointless and a misuse of the callers' money.
ArgentinaArgentinaArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
- Ring Cajahttp://www.llamaygana.com/AR/ring_caja/programa.html
- Llamá y Ganáhttp://www.llamaygana.com/AR/llama_y_gana/programa.html
ColombiaColombiaColombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
- Ring Ring Ganahttp://www.llamaygana.com/CO/ring_ring_gana/programa.html
- Aquí se Ganahttp://www.llamaygana.com/CO/aqui_se_gana/programa.html
United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Although there are no quiz channels in the U.S., these are interactive programs similar to quiz channels:- My GamesFeverMy GamesFeverMy GamesFever is a live daytime interactive game show on MyNetworkTV stations owned by the Fox Television Stations Group. Featured in the two-hour program were interactive games where the viewers can win cash prizes. The show aired from 1 p.m...
(December 2006 - April 2007) (MyNetworkTVMyNetworkTVMyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
) - Play2Win (August 2006 - March 2007) (Superstation WGNSuperstation WGNWGN America is a Chicago-based American superstation feed of WGN-TV, owned by Tribune Broadcasting. WGN America offers its national programming across North America without the CW network programming and most syndicated programs that are carried on the Chicago area feed...
and WPIX-TV) - PlayManiaPlayManiaPlayMania is a live interactive game show on GSN, hosted by Mel Peachey, Shandi Finnessey, Jessica York, Angelle Tymon and Jeff Thisted. The two-hour program featured interactive games that the viewers could play to win cash prizes...
(April 2006 - February 2007) (GSNGame Show NetworkThe Game Show Network is an American cable television and direct broadcast satellite channel dedicated to game shows and casino game shows. The channel was launched on December 1, 1994. Its current slogan is "The World Needs More Winners"...
)- 100 Winners100 Winners100 Winners is a live interactive game show on GSN, officially hosted by Jessica York. Jeff Thisted and Shandi Finnessey served as substitute hosts. Featured during the two-hour program were short interactive games from which the viewers could win prizes. The show generally aired from 12:00...
(February 2007 - June 2007) - quiznationQuiznation (US game show)quiznation was a live interactive game show on GSN. The official host was Shandi Finnessey, with Angelle Tymon, Jessica York, Jeff Thisted filling in. Featured in the two-hour program were interactive games where the viewers could win cash prizes. The show aired from 12 midnight - 2 a.m...
(February 2007 - October 2007)
- 100 Winners
- Take the CakeTake the CakeTake the Cake was a live, interactive game show on BET. The one-hour program featured interactive games where the viewers could win cash prizes. The show aired from 12 midnight - 1 a.m. Eastern every Monday night through Friday night...
(July 2007 - November 2007) (BETBlack Entertainment TelevisionBlack Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...
) - Midnight Money MadnessMidnight Money MadnessMidnight Money Madness is an interactive game show on TBS, hosted by Jerilee Bonner, Danny Seckel and Craig J. Jackson. Featured in the two-hour program were interactive games where the viewers can win cash prizes. The show aired around 12 a.m...
(August 2006 - October 2006) (TBS) - GSN LiveGSN LiveGSN Live is an American live interactive show on Game Show Network that premiered on February 25, 2008 at noon ET and officially ended its 3 year run on July 29, 2011. The last "live" edition aired May 13, 2011...
(February 2008–Present) (GSN) - Juegos PlayTV (Telemedia InteracTV game showhttp://www.playtvusa.com/es/index.php?page=home
BelgiumBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
- Woordzoeker (vtmVTMThe abbreviation VTM may refer to::* Vampire: The Masquerade, a popular role-playing game* Virginia Tech massacre* vtm, the main commercial television station in Flanders, Belgium...
, 2BE) - Quiz Live (vtmVTMThe abbreviation VTM may refer to::* Vampire: The Masquerade, a popular role-playing game* Virginia Tech massacre* vtm, the main commercial television station in Flanders, Belgium...
, 2BE)
GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
- 9Live9Live9Live was a commercial German participation TV channel launched on September 1, 2001 and lasted until August 9, 2011. It originated from a channel called tm3. Most of its programming is lottery and quiz games, in which the viewer can participate over the phone...
, shut down 2011- Sat.1Sat.1Sat.1 is a privately owned German television broadcasting station. Sat.1 was the first privately owned television broadcasting station in Germany, having started one day before RTL Television....
: "QUIZ NIGHT" (produced by 9Live), cacelled 2011 - ProSieben: "ProSieben Night-Loft" (produced by 9Live), cacelled 2011
- Kabel Eins: "kabel eins Filmquiz" (produced by 9Live), cacelled 2011
- Sat.1
- Das Vierte: (subsidiary of NBC UniversalNBC UniversalNBCUniversal Media, LLC is a media and entertainment company engaged in the production and marketing of entertainment, news, and information products and services to a global customer base...
): "Hollywood Quiz" - DSFDeutsches SportfernsehenSPORT1 is a privately owned commercial German television channel. Until April 11, 2010, it was called DSF . It was founded on January 1, 1993 out of the television channel Tele 5 which had become the successor of the music video channel musicbox on January 11, 1988...
- "Das Sportquiz" - "Money Express" (MTV CentralMTV CentralMTV Germany, is a 24- hour German speaking entertainment channel operated by MTV Networks Europe. The channel was launched as MTV Networks Europe began to localize its brand throughout Europe in 1997. MTV Germany was launched on March 7, 1997...
, Nickelodeon GermanyNickelodeon GermanyNickelodeon , known on-air only as Nickelodeon, is a television channel for kids in Germany, part of the international Nickelodeon franchise. Launched on 2005, Nickelodeon Germany is based in Berlin...
, VIVA, Comedy Central GermanyComedy Central GermanyComedy Central Germany is a German speaking equivalent to Comedy Central. The channel is available free-to-air and on local digital/cable operators in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. It broadcasts many American and British imports as well as original programming. It launched on January 15, 2007...
), formerly produced by Callactive, subsidiary of EndemolEndemolEndemol is an international television production and distribution company based in the Netherlands, with subsidiaries and joint ventures in 23 countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Mexico, Spain, Italy, Germany, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Dominican Republic, Poland,...
, now produced by MassResponse, subsidiary of Telekom AustriaTelekom AustriaTelekom Austria is a provider of a range of fixed line, mobile, data, and Internet communications services. The company has a 100 per cent share in telecommunications provider A1 Telekom Austria....
, cancelled in September 2008 - RTL GroupRTL GroupRTL Group is Europe's largest TV, radio and production company, and is majority-owned by German media conglomerate Bertelsmann. It has 45 television and 32 radio stations in 11 countries...
- RTL: "Quiz-Night", cancelled
- Super RTLSuper RTLSuper RTL is a Cologne-based German television network operated by RTL Disney Fernsehen GmbH & Co. KG. It was the second German television channel aimed mostly at children...
: "Masterquiz" - n-tvN-tvn-tv is a German television news channel owned by the Bertelsmann AG Media's RTL Group and an affiliate network of CNN since the networks creation in 1992....
: "n-tv News Quiz", cancelled - K1010 TV, cancelled 2006
- Tele5: Bei Anruf - Spiel! ("At call - game!"), cancelled 2008
Shortly after adoption of the Rundfunkstaatsvertrag (broadcast treaty) in September 2008, which allows the regulators to impose fines to the channels in case of irregularity, several channels announced the end of phone-in quizzes.
CroatiaCroatiaCroatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
- Nova lova - NOVA TV (Telemedia InteracTV game show) - Monday-Saturday 09:30-10:30; canceled http://stream.calltv.com:81/miptv200709/croatia.html
- Kunolovac - RTL TELEVIZIJA (produced by 9Live) - Sunday-Wednesday 00:00-02:00, Monday - Friday 09:15- 10:15; canceled
- Uzmi sve! - OTV (Telemedia InteracTV game show Monday - Sunday 19:00- 20:00; canceled
- Uzmi lovu! - OTV, ZAGREBAČKA TELEVIZIJA-Z1(produced by Mass response), canceled
- Laka lova! - OTV, (produced by MAG - DRIVE d.o.o.), canceled
- Trezor! - ZAGREBAČKA TELEVIZIJA-Z1(produced by MAG - DRIVE d.o.o.), canceled
- Jackpot! - OTV, ( produced by Omega-produkcija d.o.o.), canceled
Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
- Kešolovac - OBN (Telemedia InteracTV game show), Monday - Friday 00:40- 02:40; canceled
SerbiaSerbiaSerbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
- Lovac na novac - PINK (Telemedia InteracTV game show, Monday - Friday 09:05- 10:05; canceled
SloveniaSloveniaSlovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
- Srečna linija - KANAL A (Telemedia InteracTV game show), canceled
- Fantastični klic - KANAL A (Telemedia InteracTV game show), canceled
- Pokliči in zadeni - PIKA TV (Telemedia InteracTV game show), canceled
- Evromanija - KANAL A (Telemedia InteracTV game show), canceled
ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
- VIP TV
- Quizissimo (Telemedia InteracTV game show)http://www.calltv.com/shows.htm
- Notte D'oro (Telemedia InteracTV game show)
- Quiz Line (Telemedia InteracTV game show)
PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
- Tele Gra
- Podróze z Zagadkami (Telemedia InteracTV game show)http://www.calltv.com/shows.htm
- Wielka Wygrana (Telemedia InteracTV game show)
- Wygraj fortunę (Telemedia InteracTV game show)
- Wygraj teraz (Telemedia InteracTV game show)
- Kasa na Bank (Telemedia InteracTV game show)
- Wrzuć na luz
- Hej-nał show
- TVN Gra
- Po co spać, jak można grać?
- Zagadkowa Noc
PortugalPortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
- Quando o Telefone Toca (SIC) adapted from QuizmaniaQuizmaniaQuizmania was a popular British interactive gameshow. The show was devised by Chuck Thomas, Debbie King, and Simone Thorogood and produced by Fremantle Media for Information TV and ITV . Currently, the online revival is produced by Screen Pop Ltd. in association with Illumina Digital...
, produced by FremantleMedia Portugal (2007–2008) - Todos em Linha (SIC) adapted from The MintThe Mint (game show)The Mint was a live, late night, interactive quiz show with celebrity guests and live studio contestants filmed in a large extravagant set designed to look like the inside of a mansion. The programme, which was dogged by criticism that its questions were ambiguous and arbitrary, aired on ITV and...
, produced by FremantleMedia Portugal (2008–present) - Toca a Ganhar (TVITVI (Portugal)Televisão Independente is Portugal's fourth terrestrial television channel, launched in 1993. It has been leading audience ratings since 2005. It competes directly with SIC and RTP1.-History:...
) produced by Llama TV (2007–2008) - Sempre a Somar (TVI) adapted from Take the CakeTake the CakeTake the Cake was a live, interactive game show on BET. The one-hour program featured interactive games where the viewers could win cash prizes. The show aired from 12 midnight - 1 a.m. Eastern every Monday night through Friday night...
, produced by Endemol Portugal (2008–present) - Quem Quer Ganha (TVI) (2003-2010)
- Agora é que Conta (TVI) (2010-present)
RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
- Ночной клуб / Night Club (DTV Viasat)
- Лови удачу / Catch Success (MTV Russia) (Telemedia InteracTV game show)
- Деньги на проводе / Money For A Wire, Ночные игры / Night Games (TNT) (Telemedia InteracTV game show)
- Культ наличности / Cult of cash, Киномания / Film-mania (TV-3)
- Лёгкие деньги / Сheapjack (TV Stolica)
- Ночной выигрыш / Night prize (7TV) (Telemedia InteracTV game show)
- Поймай удачу / Catch good luck (World Music Channel)
SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
- Llamada Interactiva
- Adivina quién gana esta noche (Antena 3Antena 3 (Spain)Antena 3 is a Spanish terrestrial television channel owned by Antena 3 de Televisión. Some of the more popular programmes broadcast by Antena 3 include Aquí no hay quien viva, El Barco, Los Protegidos, Los Simpson and El Internado....
) produced by Llama TV - Llámame (Cuatro) produced by Llama TV
- La llamada millonaria (Cuatro)
- Contamos contigo (Cuatro)
- ¡Uau! (Cuatro)
- Marca y gana (Cuatro)
- Llama y gana (TelecincoTelecincoTelecinco is a Spanish commercial television channel operated by Mediaset España. Launched in 1990 as Tele 5, it was the fifth of the national terrestrial television channels. In 1997, Tele 5 was rebranded as Telecinco, dropping the flower logo seen in other Mediaset channel...
) - Telecinco ¿dígame? (Telecinco)
- Noche de suerte (Telecinco)
- Si lo aciertas, ganas (Telecinco)
- Lluvia de euros (Telecinco)
- Aprende Español (la SextaLa SextalaSexta is the sixth nationwide broadcast television station in Spain. It is privately owned and began broadcasting in 2006.-Programming:....
) - Despierta y gana (laSexta)
- Ganas de ganar (laSexta)
- Gana ahora (laSexta)
- TRUCA I ENCERTA (Telemedia InteracTV game show)(8 TV)
- Llamar y Ganar (Telemedia InteracTV game show) (VEO TV)
United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Former Quiz Programmes & Channels- AvagoAvagoAvago was a gaming television channel in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. It was launched on 4 July 2002.- Games :...
- The Big DealThe Big Deal (TV channel)The Big Deal is a TV channel in the United Kingdom on the Freeview platform.When launched in 2009, The Big Deal broadcast live interactive quiz show 7 days a week from 22:00-05:00 on Freeview channel 37, then changed to channel 32, timesharing with the RT Network and Create and Craft...
- Big Game TV
- Bikini BeachBikini BeachBikini Beach is a 1964 teen film directed by William Asher and starring Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello. The film belongs to the beach party genre of movies, popular in the 1960s. This is the third in a series of seven films produced by American International Pictures .-Plot:School is out and...
- Cash Call (The Hits)
- Cash House
- Eureka
- GlitterballGlitterballGlitterball was a live, late night, interactive television quiz show in the United Kingdom. It was broadcast under the ITV Play branding on ITV a few nights a week from around midnight , and from 1.00am on ITV2. The show launched on 19 February 2007. Both Glitterball and Make Your Play alternated...
(ITV) - Grab A Grand
- ITV Play Channel
- Play DJ (ITV)
- Pop The QPop the QPop the Q was a British interactive gameshow which became the first live format to be commissioned by MTV for their TMF network. It began life in the summer of 2005 running for two hours on Sunday afternoons....
(TMF) - Quiz Beat
- Quiz CallQuiz CallQuiz Call is a late night/early morning phone-in quiz TV show, produced by Ostrich Media for Five, Five USA and Fiver.- Launch :...
(Five) - QuizmaniaQuizmaniaQuizmania was a popular British interactive gameshow. The show was devised by Chuck Thomas, Debbie King, and Simone Thorogood and produced by Fremantle Media for Information TV and ITV . Currently, the online revival is produced by Screen Pop Ltd. in association with Illumina Digital...
- Quiz Nation (ITV)
- Quiz Night Live (Ftn)
- Quiz TVQuiz TVQuiz TV was a popular British television interactive gameshow which screened on Digital satellite and cable TV from 14 June 2004 to 23 June 2006. It was a premium-line call-in show, viewers were encouraged to phone a premium-rate number in order to provide an answer to a quiz question....
- Quiz World (Smile TV)
- Sky Quiz Live (Sky One)
- Sweet & Sassy (ITV)
- The Daily Quiz (Big Game TV, ITV Play, Men & Motors)
- The Great Big British QuizThe Great Big British QuizThe Great Big British Quiz , which ceased operating on 4 May 2007 was an interactive quiz based channel on which viewers where invited to phone in to solve puzzles in return for cash and prizes. It broadcast from studios in Battersea, London, England, it was usually seen on Sky Digital...
- The Hallmark Channel Quiz (Hallmark)
- The MintThe Mint (game show)The Mint was a live, late night, interactive quiz show with celebrity guests and live studio contestants filmed in a large extravagant set designed to look like the inside of a mansion. The programme, which was dogged by criticism that its questions were ambiguous and arbitrary, aired on ITV and...
(ITV Play) - Make Your PlayMake Your PlayMake Your Play was a live, interactive quiz show, showing in the UK on the ITV Network, from Monday to Saturday, beginning after midnight. The show was launched on Friday September 29, 2006 on ITV and ITV Play....
(ITV) - This Morning Puzzle Book (ITV Play)
- The Zone (ITV Play)
- TV Bingo