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Making Your Mind Up
UK: BBC sorry for keeping charity cash
In the latest scandal to hit the television industry over phone-ins, the BBC also admitted that viewers of Making Your Mind Up, the BBC1 show that chose last year's UK entry for the Eurovision song contest, Scooch, were misled into voting before phone lines had opened. In that case, the BBC made £6,000 from ineligible calls that has also gone to charity.
The BBC Trust chairman, Sir Michael Lyons, today said that the money had now been repaid to charity, including interest totalling £123,000.
The trust has also ordered the BBC to make an onscreen apology - the first time the corporation's governance and regulatory body has imposed such a sanction.
Lyons said the issue involved the BBC Worldwide subsidiary Audiocall, which provides premium-rate phone lines to many BBC shows.
He added that about two dozen shows had been affected between October 2005 and September 2007, although he refused to name them.
Lyons said new technology had since been introduced which meant the problem had been resolved.
The trust has asked the BBC director general, Mark Thompson, to look at disciplining a "handful" of staff.
Lyons made it clear that senior staff within BBC Worldwide and the corporation did not know about the problem and nor did staff who worked on the affected programmes.
He added that he did not know why staff at Audiocall did not report the issue.
Lyons said: "There is no legal impropriety but it is a failure in the behaviour of these staff and the BBC's own systems.
"It was a matter of serious misjudgment by a small number of people and a serious failing in how the BBC controls its PRS [premium-rate phone services] and its relationship with viewers and voters.
"These problems can't continue into the future and there are lessons to be learned and disciplinary action may take place amongst staff."
He added: "There is no room for complacency here. This is an organisation intent on living by the highest standards in the industry."
These latest TV deception revelations follow the record £5.675m fine imposed on ITV (an independent broadcaster in the UK) yesterday by Ofcom over the commercial broadcaster's phone-in scandal.
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- Stephen Potts
I doubt it would have changed the results. There was a 6% difference of votes bewteen Cyndi and Scooch, so it wasn't terribly close. And I think knowing the British public, Scooch still would have won.
I think the BBC should invite Cyndi to sing our 2009 song, and have a public selection to decide the song. Good idea?
Why does everyone love Cyndi so much? I'm not saying Scooch were better, but at least they didn't put me to sleep.
I'm going to get a bashing for saying that aren't I.
Does this mean Cyndi lost out on votes because some were cast before the lines actually opened?
Really this is the media, why is this some surprise, really, who cares?
- Gary Green
I agree! ITV makes the BBC look like the good samaritans!!! 
Not great but not half as bad as ITV!!
I mean - giving a comedy award to Ant & Dec who just happen to be on their channel when in fact BBC's Catherine Tate got the most votes!!!
Dreadful - but the BBC have a way to go before they fall as low as ITV.
- S PT
LOL, its a bit late for that!!!!! (Cyndi was great though!)
I found out the official results not that long ago actually, and it was Scooch, 53% and Cyndi, 47%. So there wasn't much in it!
I think the BBC should invite Cyndi to sing our 2009 entry, and there should be a public selection to decide the song 
Now say that Cyndi won, please.
Well said Mike Strothmann - why is everybody so overly dramatic about things on this site?
OMFG CORRUPT ASSHOLES!
All TELEVOTING is corrupt anyone with a brain has known it for years...wake up and get a grip people.
Thats really bad! ITV 1st now BBC!
Well [u]"IM NOT BOVERED!"[/u]
I am really buh im slagging ITV for the award scandal!
At least the BBC have done the right thing. It says on their website that they're paying the charity money back, with interest on top, so its all been sorted
This has been happening alot on the UK recently. Mind you the other major broadcaster, ITV has been involved with alot more scandals than the BBC.
Although, as Kevin Riley said, I doubt these scandals are just limited to the UK. I'm sure there are many other broadcasters that are guilty of practises like this, just the UK services are better at finding out incidents like this.
Shame, this will really get the UK-bashers going!!!!!!!!!
come & vote in worldwide poll which country have the most chance to win eurovision? here you can find all songs of 2008 song contest! join us and vote url=WWW.EUROVISION2008.TK]WWW.EUROVISION2008.TK/url]
Bear in mind, this is something that has been a BIG scandal in the UK over hte last few months. It is very unlikely it is limited only to the UK though - probably several other TV companies across Europe (possibly most of them) are guilty of exactly the same thing.
Oh dear, even without this revelation, it was already one of the worst programmes in UK Eurovision history
Oh this is unbelievable !?!?!?!? OMFG 
A total shame
quote: "Lyons said new technology had since been introduced which meant the problem had been resolved."
as if the problem was technological...
pathetic!
