Here’s a weird little story from England about a T.V. station reportedly ripping off 25 million viewers who called in to enter contests when they had no chance of winning at all. The money collected from viewers who couldn’t possibly win is alleged to be around $70 million. That’s a rotten way to improve the bottom line. And the T.V. station involved is partially owned by the Walt Disney Company. Some of the story from Timesonline below.
GMTV, ITV’s breakfast broadcaster, admitted last night that viewers who spent £35 million over four years had no chance of winning one of its phone-in competitions.
The figure, larger than previously expected, opens up a massive liability for the commercial broadcaster, which has promised to refund everybody affected – although ITV hopes that not everybody will claim.
ITV owns 75 per cent of GMTV, with the rest held by the Walt Disney Company. Last year ITV made £288 million before tax; meaning that if everybody claimed the refund it could cost the broadcaster 12 per cent of profits. Every morning about five million people watch GMTV, which vies with the BBC Breakfastto produce Britain’s most popular breakfast show.
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