The broadcaster, under direction from Michael Grade, ITV's newly installed executive chairman, has appointed has appointed independent auditor Deloitte to conduct a complete review of all premium-rate interactive services in ITV programmes. Programmes that include this type of voting activity include the primetime shows 'Dancing On Ice', 'I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!' and 'X Factor'.
The investigation will cover all premium-rate landline, mobile, excluding pay download, and red button activity.
The move comes as the premium rate phone regulator Icstis launches an inquiry into voting on ITV1's flagship Saturday night show 'Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway'. Allegations have been levelled that premium voting lines had still been open, even though contestants had already been picked for the show.
The decision pre-empts the broadcaster's annual results on Wednesday, and follows revelations last week that viewers tuning in to the 'X-Factor', broadcast on ITV1, had been have been charged an extra 15p for phone votes during the last series.
The miscalculation came to light as part of ITV's regular financial reporting process for interactive activity. It identified that incorrect payments were collected through red button applications on the Sky platform during the last series of the 'X Factor'.
In the programmes broadcast between October 12 and December 16 2006, viewers had the opportunity to participate in the show through the red button in two ways, either by taking part in a prize competition, costing £1 an entry, or by voting in the show, costing 35p an entry.
Because of what ITV described as "a data inputting error", red button competition entrants had been charged 35p an entry instead of £1, an undercharge of 65p an entry. Red-button voters were charged 50p a vote instead of 35p, an overcharge of 15p a vote.
The mistake came to light two weeks ago when the broadcaster received the latest red button revenue statement from Sky for the operation of the last series of 'X Factor'. This statement showed a surplus to ITV of £200,000.
The broadcaster has not been the only television network to be embroiled in a premium-rate phone scandal of late.
Channel 4 came under fire early last month when it came to light that viewers trying to participate in its 'You Say, We Pay' quiz spot during its teatime ratings winner 'Richard and Judy', had been convinced to phone premium-rate competition lines even though participants had already been chosen.
The scandal grew with the news that the BBC One show 'Saturday Kitchen' had encouraged viewers to phone premium-rate lines to vote on a competition during a pre-recorded show.
According to ITV, the review will be conducted in two parts. First, to ensure that all existing procedures are robust and second, a retrospective review of premium interactive services in all relevant ITV programmes of the last two years. ITV intends to make the findings of the review public.
ITV said: "We are temporarily suspending all premium interactive services across all ITV channels from Tuesday March 6. Interactive elements will return, programme by programme, as soon as they have passed the scrutiny of the independent audit.
"This will cover ITV productions, co-productions and independent productions. We will be writing to Pact (Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television) and will be working closely with them and their members on this review. We are also in conversations with GMTV."
John Cresswell, chief operating officer of ITV, said: "This is a concern across the whole industry but ITV viewers can be confident that we will always act responsibly and take firm action to address issues that may arise.
"We believe that all programmes currently on air are compliant. However, in light of recent concern around this issue, something affecting every major broadcaster, we are conducting this independent review to ensure that ITV is meeting all relevant codes and regulations."
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