One of the big issues that came out of the premium-rate participation TV scandal that swept the UK was that no-one seemed to feel responsible for the services. The UK media regulator Ofcom is out to change that, proposing to amend broadcasters’ licenses so they are unequivocally “directly responsible for consumer protection and premium-rate telephone services compliance” reports C21 Media. I think this is the most appropriate place for the buck to stop: The companies which provide the services are relatively small and while many are legit it would be easy to set up fly-by-night operations, while broadcasters are large and long-lived entities that require licenses and a lot of op-ex to survive. Telcos are like the broadcasters in being large and long-lived, but shows get votes from many telcos and it would be difficult for the operators to regulate how they were used without creating a lot of barriers to production.

SEE ALSO: Premium Rate Services Need More Regulation: UK, Australia

Ofcom is consulting with the broadcasting industry on how dedicated participation TV services should be regulated—this will include voice premium rate services as well as the text-based premium rate services. The proposals include: “1) licensed as editorial but subject to tighter rules under the Broadcasting Code; 2) licensed as editorial but required to carry labeling to ensure viewers understand the commercial nature of the content; or 3) licensed as advertising and regulated under the Advertising Standards Code by the ASA”.