FAIRNESS
Run fairly, never misleading
Ofcom rules 2.13 to 2.15 say broadcast votes must be conducted fairly, viewers must not be materially misled, and the rules must be clear and made known.
Check a voteA TV vote is a promise to the audience.
When a show asks you to vote, UK broadcasting rules say the vote must be run fairly, you must not be misled about it, its rules must be clear, and any cost to you must be made clear. Those rules were tested hard by the phone-in scandals of 2007 and 2008.
- Run fairly
- Rules made known
- Costs made clear
- What every broadcast vote owes you
THE SHORT ANSWER
Fair to run,
clear to join.
The Ofcom Broadcasting Code covers every broadcast vote.
Broadcasters add their own, stricter guidelines.
COST
Say what it costs
A TV channel may only charge for taking part through controlled premium rate or revenue-sharing phone services, and the cost must be made clear to viewers.
Before you vote
VERIFYING
Time to check the count
BBC guidelines require clear opening and closing times, and enough time between closing and the result for it to be verified.
What went wrongGeneral information only, not legal advice. For advice on your own situation, speak to a qualified lawyer or a free advice service.
FOUR THINGS TO CHECK
Before you
pick up the phone.
The rules put the duty on broadcasters, but a few quick checks help you know what you are joining.
Listen for the cost
The cost of a paid call or text must be made clear. If you are unsure, do not dial until you have heard or seen it.
Check the lines are open
Rules say audiences should be told clearly when votes open and close. A repeat or catch-up should tell you the vote has ended.
Find the rules
Broadcasters must draw up rules for a vote and make them known, including any significant conditions, when they invite you to take part.
Treat online polls as fun
A quick poll on a social platform is not a representative survey, so do not read it as proof of what most people think.
TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING
When the votes
did not count.
In 2008 Ofcom fined a commercial broadcaster
over viewer competitions and voting.
£5.675m
Fine for misconduct in viewer competitions and voting
A Bristol Law School note for the European Audiovisual Observatory said this was almost three times the regulator's previous highest fine. In one show a viewers' vote was ignored and results were finalised before the lines closed.
FINE · OFCOM 2008
£7.8m
Pledged for viewer compensation and charity
The broadcaster also promised to pay this on top of the fine. Part of the fine covered more than thirty repeats that still charged viewers to enter competitions that had already ended.
PAID BACK · 2008
The same reports describe another case where £106,000 from calls made after lines had closed was wrongly kept instead of going to charity. It was later paid, with interest.
A QUICK VOTE CHECK
What kind of vote
are you joining?
Pick a type of vote to see what the UK rules and guidelines say about it. The bar shows how many protections apply.
Based on the Ofcom Broadcasting Code (sections two and nine) and BBC Editorial Guidelines section 17. This is general information, not legal advice.
WHY THE RESULT WAITS
No running totals,
then a checked result.
BBC guidelines say running totals should not normally be announced before the final verified outcome, because that could affect the result. They also say the vote must fairly and accurately reflect the opinions of the voting audience.
Competitions and votes must be approved by a senior editorial figure, and the BBC should usually be in direct control of the voting systems. A specialist unit contracts the telephone providers and checks their processes.
In conversation
Questions people ask
Who regulates TV and radio votes in the UK?
Ofcom. Its Broadcasting Code says broadcast competitions and voting must be conducted fairly, viewers and listeners must not be materially misled, and rules must be clear and appropriately made known.
What counts as a vote under the Ofcom Code?
Any feature in a programme where viewers or listeners are invited to register a vote by any means to decide or influence, at any stage, the outcome of a contest.
Can a TV channel charge me to vote?
Only through controlled premium rate services or other telephony services where revenue is shared between the parties. The cost of non-geographic calls must be made clear to viewers.
What happens if I vote during a repeat?
BBC guidelines say that when a live show with a vote is repeated, time-shifted or on catch-up, the audience must be told the interactivity is no longer available.
Are social media polls reliable?
BBC guidelines say polling tools on social media and other online services do not give statistical or representative results, and should only be used to entertain or engage audiences.
Sources
Each figure on this page comes from the sources below.
- Ofcom Broadcasting Code, Section two: Harm and offence (broadcast competitions and voting)
- Ofcom Broadcasting Code, Section nine: Commercial references on TV (premium rate services)
- BBC Editorial Guidelines, Section 17: Competitions, votes and interactivity
- European Audiovisual Observatory (IRIS 2008-7): Record fine on broadcaster
- European Audiovisual Observatory (IRIS 2008-6): Broadcasters brought to account