TV phone competitions

[londondave]

Why are they so easy? I once saw one that said Who was the first landlord of The Queen Vic

A: Dirty Den B: Desperate Dan C:Dennis Nordon.

Even if you do not watch Eastenders you know the answer.  Do they make it easy to fool the public into thinking that they will win? Or do most people think I am not entering that at �1 a call because I don't stand a chance?

How many people actually phone these things? Obviously enough to cover the cost of a  �10k car, but do any ABers out there try their luck.

(you can tell that work is quiet for me and that I am bored)

[londondave]

On a similar note. Who actually bothers to waste their text and money on TV polls like you get on The Wright Stuff.

[littleoldme]

I guess the easier the question, the more people are encouraged to phone in. The more people phone in, the more money is made. Of course this diminishes the chance of winning for each individual, but I guess it's the same principle as the lottery - you have very, very little chance of winning the top prize, but still more of a chance than if you don't take part at all.

[Chillum]

I believe it's illegal to just give the prize money away, so they link it to the easiest question possible. This, as has been said, encourages the highest number of people to call in, making them more money.

[tonymclark]

I'm with littleoldme, the easier the question, the more money the companies make from a maximum number of calls.

And if you don't enter, you don't stand a chance of winning.

But after all that, no-one is forcing you to phone-in.

[Lillabet]

Any competition to win money / prizes over a certain value (not sure what value) will be classed as gambling / gaming or playing a lottery unless the competition involves 'skill.'

Gaming and lotteries are as others have rightly pointed out legally regulated and have to meet all sorts of conditions that it would be impractical for these programmes to meet - such as obtaining gaming licences.

Therefore the correct answering of a question means that this is a skill based competiton (even if the amount of skill required is minuscule) and therefore exempt from such regulation.

The questions are made as simple as possible to maximise the number of people likely to enter - most text / phone competitions have a cost above that of the standard rate and so more money is made in proportion to the more entrants that there are. Personally I don't enter them. But clearly enough people do to make the running of such competitions worthwhile...

[Octavius]

Ok, I am with you all on this, I understand why people might be tempted into entering a competition, if the answer is easy and they stand a chance of getting some cash.

But why oh why oh why oh why oh why the buck do people phone/text vote on things like Big Brov / NonCeleb Dull Island etc etc...? 

[milly143]

If i was you i wouldn't text in tv shows either. They are often hidden charges and your number will be added to mailing lists. You will be inundated with junk texts.

[Octavius]

It's funny (well not really) that you mention that.  I have in the last couple of weeks received text messages with web links to porn sites.  Yesterday I received one from a woman called Mandy offering all kinds of services if I wanted to phone her at home and it wasn't a mobile number of one of my friends messing about either.  

I show them to my gf as I can't understand why I keep receiving them (I haven't entered comps, but might have included number on a website for goods/services that I ordered).  But even she is getting a bit wary of why I keep receiving them.

[bernardo]

But why oh why oh why oh why oh why the buck do people phone/text vote on things like Big Brov / NonCeleb Dull Island etc etc...?

Because we care about who stays or who is evicted, because there are some housemates whom we like and some whom we can't stand.

[flaming]

Every second programme has got a comp. now, which must mean it's a nice little earner.  What happens if there's more money in than the prize gives out? There is little info. about these - how many enter, etc. so that you know odds against winning, etc.  Obviously automated computers have made the draws possible and these must cost, but presumably a lot of programmes use the same one.  One day-time programme used to ask you to state 'town' as I suspect the answers were restricted to a region, thus giving a 'buggins' turn' to entrants. 

To Octavious:  Ever considered it might be someone you know, who doesn't like you, who is giving your 'phone no. so that you get what seem to be unsolicited calls.  All unsolicited calls can charge you I believe.  These come from auto. computers.  Watch  your mobile 'phone bills.

[Octavius]

flamingo - thanks, I imagined that could happen so I will cheque when the bill arrives.  Presumably the mobile phone company will kindly tak that charge off the bill then...?

Bernard - if you can't stand certain people then don't watch them, it's simpler and cheaper!

[Octavius]

typing has gone to pot, typo's everywhere!

[brachiopod]

flaming - read andy hughes and lillabet's answers again.

The TV companies do not have to give any 'odds of winning / how many entries etc.', as it is not a 'lottery'. It is a 'competition of skill'. The prize is awarded to the person who answers the question correctly. Where more than one correct answer is received, the winner is allowed to be decided by drawing one entry from all the correct entries (this can be done electronically).

Yes, with such p�ss easy questions, they are effectively running a lottery, but are not subject to the strict rules of lotteries because of this so called, 'element of skill'.

londondave, in your original sample question, was the answer C. Dennis Norden ?

[brachiopod]

One more thing. When you are asked to 'state town' in your answer, it is more likely so that twhen they announce the winner, they can say it was won by 'Margaret Smith in Glenrothes' or 'Wayne Sadb�stard from Solihull'.

You seem very distrustful, flaming, though you're probably right if that dodgy Lorraine Kelly has anything to do with it.  ;o)