BBC Contest Scandals

[The Chad]

Sorry if this is a repost, I did attempt a search:

I saw on tonight's NBC Nightly News that the BBC is in some trouble by potentially rigging some contests on some shows. Big deal.

My question is, in light of this information, do you think Top Gear has been above board with it's contests? Did the Mini really win the "Restoration Ripoff"? Did anyone really vote for Meatloaf's "Bat Out of Hell"?

Comments, thoughts, conspiracy theories? (I posted here instead of the Top Gear forum because I expect there to be commentary not directly relating to Top Gear in some of the responses).

[Lilleput]

[Cobol74]

Stuff that almost any other broadcaster in the world would do normally they beat themselves up about. Things like having a fake contest winner on the phone as the phone lines were broken - once. Trouble is that these odd instances were occurring too often.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle2051044.ece

[The Chad]

Nearly 40,000 viewers who called the premium-rate line had no chance of winning.

This is what concerns me, paying to enter a contest that there is no chance of winning.

But when you look at other shows that charge considerably more per call (Fifth Gear, anyone?), do you think it happens more often than we think? Ya know, I kinda wonder that when I watch US gameshows that give away 10k per week. Here it's a "premium text messaging" charge.