ITV has been fined a record £5m plus by Ofcom for abusing premium rate phone services in viewer competitions.
The media regulator said the fine was by far the highest ever imposed and reflected the seriousness of ITV's failures and their repeated nature.
TV shows Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, Gameshow Marathon and Soapstar Superstar were all found to have "serious editorial issues".
Last year a report found viewers had spent millions on unfair competitions.
However the exact amount of the financial penalty is being withheld by Ofcom. In a nationwide competition launched this evening on Channel 4's 'The Paul O'Grady Show', viewers are being given the chance to win a Brand new Ford Mondeo Titanium X Sport worth a staggering £25,000.
So how large was the fine? To enter ring 0999 1234 5678. Answers ranging from £5-10m will be considered. Competition closes on May 31st.
Over 16's only. All calls recorded. £1.50/min from all BT lines within the UK. Other networks may vary. Calls last no longer than 3 mins on most land lines.
