The BBC has been fined £400,000 by media watchdog Ofcom for misleading its audiences by "faking" phone-ins.The Comic Relief, Children in Need and Sport Relief TV shows were caught up in the scandal, along with Liz Kershaw on 6 Music and Jo Whiley's Radio 1 show.
The regulator's £400,000 penalty is a record for the corporation.
"The BBC deceived its audience by faking winners of competitions and deliberately conducting competitions unfairly," Ofcom said.
Viewers were urged to call some BBC programmes after contestants had already been chosen.
Other shows had been pre-recorded, so nobody could win apparently "live" competitions.
The affected shows were fined individually, totalling £400,000. They were:
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Comic Relief (BBC One, March 2007) - £45,000
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Sport Relief (BBC One, July 2006) - £45,000
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Children in Need (BBC One Scotland, November 2005) - £35,000
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TMi (BBC Two and CBBC, September 2006) - £50,000
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Liz Kershaw Show (BBC 6 Music, May 2005 to January 2006) - £115,000
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Jo Whiley Show (BBC Radio 1, 20 April to 12 May 2006) - £75,000
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Russell Brand (BBC 6 Music, April 2006) - £17,500
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Clare McDonnell Show (BBC 6 Music, from September 2006) - £17,500
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Topic: Record fine over BBC's phone-ins (Read 857 times)