ITV fined $11.2 mil over phone-in quizzes

May 08, 2008 ITV has been hit with a fine of 5.7 million pounds ($11.2 million), the biggest in U.K. television history, for misleading millions of viewers phoning in to quizzes on some of its biggest shows. The broadcaster was accused by media watchdog Ofcom of having a "completely inadequate" compliance system and of "totally disregarding" the broadcast code in shows including "Saturday Night Takeaway" and "Soapstar Superstar." [...] though Grade conceded "serious breaches of trust" and "gross editorial errors" he maintained they were made to enhance the viewer experience.

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