Blue Peter - who would have thought?

[Frances144]

... And here's a winner that we made up earlier

 

FERGUS SHEPPARD

MEDIA CORRESPONDENT

 

FOR generations of young viewers, it has been the gold standard of children's television - trusted by parents and children alike for its wholesome qualities.

 

But the BBC's Blue Peter yesterday became the latest programme to be dragged into the premium-rate phone scandal engulfing UK broadcasters after it admitted a competition winner was a fake.

 

 

The show's presenters apologised on air after it emerged that a member of the show's production staff had asked a girl visiting the Blue Peter studios to ring a charity fund-raising competition when a failure with the phone lines prevented any of the almost 14,000 children who called getting through.

 

The girl - who has not been named - went on air and said she was "calling from London", when, in reality, she was in the same studio as the presenters.

 

The incident took place last November as Blue Peter held a premium-rate phone quiz to raise money for UNICEF, the United Nations children's fund.

 

Viewers were invited to try to match a pair of shoes to a celebrity, with the chance of winning one of that year's top ten toys. Calls cost 10p, with 3.25p going to the charity and the remainder divided between the telecoms carrier and a company running the phone line. The BBC make no profit from the calls.

 

Richard Deverell, controller of BBC's children's programmes, said: "While I am satisfied there was no premeditated attempt to deceive or mislead viewers, the decision to put a child on air in this way was a serious error of judgment."

 

He added: "I would like to apologise unequivocally to viewers and to all the children who took part in the competition."

 

The BBC has said it will pick a new winner from those who called the show and announced an immediate review of competitions on CBBC, the children's network.

 

Experts last night warned that the latest revelation was a damaging blow to the high trust factor enjoyed by the programme, which first went on air in 1958.

 

Stewart Purvis, a media analyst and former ITN chief executive, said: "This can't be blamed on some third-party phone operator. It is a different kind of deception; it's not necessarily financially driven, but it creates new doubt in viewers' minds about whether they trust what they see on television.

 

"If they had a technical problem, why not tell everyone?"

 

Dave Turtle, of the pressure group Mediawatch UK, said: "This is a clear breach of audience trust and is made so much worse because this is a long-running programme for children. The BBC ought to know better."

 

Blue Peter is the latest programme to become embroiled in allegations that have spread to programmes on BBC1, ITV1, Channel 4 and Five.

 

Icstis, the premium-rate phone regulator, is now investigating apparent irregularities on six shows: Channel 4's Richard and Judy, the BBC's Saturday Kitchen, and ITV entertainment series X Factor, Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, Soapstar Superstar and I'm A Celebrity, Get Me out of Here!. Five's Brainteaser show is being separately investigated by the broadcasting watchdog, Ofcom, after the channel admitted competition winners were faked.

 

On Tuesday, Channel 4 suspended phone-in competitions during its Cheltenham Week horse-racing coverage when it emerged that callers had continued to ring a premium-rate line after a contest had closed. On the same day, ITV announced it was scrapping its digital channel ITV Play, after claims that callers rang premium-rate numbers with little chance of getting through.

 

The Scotsman

[david]

People are making a mountain out of a mole hill on this one... This is was a one off bad judgement made under the pressure of a live tv show. It's not like the quiz channels that are always obviously conning people out of money.

 

Richard Bacon on the radio yesterday afternoon saying it was about time he wasn't the biggest scandal in BP history... very funny!

[Tomblands]

Speaking of Blue Peter, remember the infamous "elephant taking dump on live tv" incident?

 

The same thing happened with a massive python on Monday or Tuesday this week. Classic.

[NewMagnie]

Stewart Purvis, a media analyst and former ITN chief executive, said: "This can't be blamed on some third-party phone operator. It is a different kind of deception; it's not necessarily financially driven, but it creates new doubt in viewers' minds about whether they trust what they see on television.

 

No relation to Peter..?

[sassermaet]

Speaking of Blue Peter, remember the infamous "elephant taking dump on live tv" incident?

 

Ah yes - and then the zookeeper slipped in it.

 

I remember there being much hilarity in my hoose when me dad recoonted dat wan.

 

In addition, onybody mind when dey vandalised da Italian Sunken Garden?

[Fifi]

Stewart Purvis, a media analyst and former ITN chief executive.........No relation to Peter..?

I think he was a Purves, as opposed to a Purvis.

[NewMagnie]

Well remembered! I take it you still have the complete collection of annuals?

 

Does anybody else remeber John Noakes dropping his breeks to show the world the blue-melt on his ass after he fell off the bobsleigh?

 

I still wake up in a cold sweat from time to time...

[north]

I can mind meeting John Noakes at the Sumburgh Airport. He seemed like a pretty nice guy and talked to us all for ages!

 

John Craven was also a pretty nice guy when he came to Shetland as well.

 

I even had a real live Blue Peter badge!

[KOYAANISQATSI]

My "Blue Cheater" favs were when they got their garden smashed up, when John Noakes blubed for a good ten minutes on TV when shep died oh yeah and when they dug up their time time capsules to find they were water laden soggy old ruined sh*te. I was quite lucky to see these gems as I remember the show was the king crap of kids TV when I was young, any misfortune they suffer is their own karmatic fault for the pain they caused so many by sacking the eternally sexy sultry Janit Ellis just for getting preggars unmarried. her likes were never seen again on kids TV until Sarah Jane honeywell got the job on Tinkerbella. So stuff them if they dont lose the contract I wish never ending dysentery on every pet they take on air. The Elephant is still a hero of mine, he got to do what I could only dream of.