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Premium rate telephone services

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Ofcom, the UK's communications regulator, is to introduce new rules around the use of premium rate telephone services in TV and radio programmes from early next year.

Under the new Broadcasting Code rules, premium rate telephone services can only be included in shows such as Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, Big Brother or competitions within shows.

This is because they are considered to be related to the main purpose of the show.

Where premium rate telephone services are used more extensively than allowed under the new Broadcasting Code rules, this will be considered as advertising and will be regulated under the Advertising Code.

Channels that are likely to be affected by this are Participation TV (PTV) channels that are based on promotion of premium rate telephone services. These include specialist quiz, adult chat and psychic channels.

The new rules will come into force early in 2010.

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