BBC Receives £50,000 Fine for Blue Peter Call-In

LONDON, July 9: Regulator Ofcom has imposed a £50,000 fine on the BBC after the results of a phone-in competition on the popular kids’ show Blue Peter were faked back in November 2006.

According to reports, the show’s producer allowed a child visiting the studio set to pose as a caller when technical difficulties had stopped legitimate calls from getting through. "The decision to involve the child in the deception for the sake of expediency demonstrated a casual lack of regard for the welfare of that child," Ofcom said in its ruling.

The BBC responded noting that it fully accepts “the seriousness of this case,” and it apologized “for the breach of trust with our audiences. We regret that Ofcom found it necessary to impose a fine on the BBC. However we are pleased Ofcom’s finding accepts that Blue Peter always intended to conduct a “genuine competition” and recognizes the BBC’s good compliance record. The finding also recognizes the steps taken by the BBC to address the situation after it came to light and to minimize the chances of such mistakes happening again."