director general

Damon Allen told Bridport Radio’s Scoop Doggy Style (ace reporter) he accepted there had been "serious errors of judgement", but there was no "intention to deceive".

The win a Mikkimug competition was faked, the winner was already chosen Although no Mikkimugs were harmed during the competition. Mr Norman Nudger of Chiddyhock reckons he should have won a Mikkimug and got nowt.

Mr Allen said the mistakes were "very regrettable". 
 
The competition "fix" occurred when a technical problem prevented callers from getting through to the website. A visiting child was asked to pose as a caller, and won the prize.

Kerfuffle

Last week saw smaller media rival Blue Peter apologise to viewers after the results of the Whose Shoes contest was faked in November. (whose shoes, whose idea more like)Ed.

The BBC launched an independent inquiry into the Blue Peter incident

Mr Allen blamed the Blue Peter incident on "blind panic on the studio/dance floor" 

Bridport Radio did not profit from the calls and the competition has since been re-run, with a new winner chosen from the original callers.

Cookery show Saturday Pot Noodle Kitchen is also under investigation by the premium phone line regulator Icstis, following an incident last month which Mr Allen attributed to "sloppiness". 

Web Surfers were encouraged to e-mail in for a chance to appear on the following week's website front page - even though it was being typed up minutes before the competition was announced.

Bridport Radio Not as bad as GMTV

Breakfast broadcaster GMTV has been fined £2m by media regulator Ofcom for failings with its phone-in quizzes.

Ofcom has handed out the penalty, the highest in its history, because many couch potato viewers who entered GMTV's premium-rate competitions had no chance of winning. Really?

For four years, finalists were chosen before lines closed – Really?

During this period, GMTV's revenues amounted to more than £63 million,

Bridport Radio announced revenues of £7 9shillings and sixpence. Really!

It claimed viewers lost £10m a year, as up to half of all callers never had a chance of winning. GMTV has since admitted "serious operational errors", overhauled its competition system, and terminated its contract with Opera.

The two companies also offered refunds to viewers and set up a series of free prize draws for those affected.

Ofcom noted that the financial penalty would have been higher if GMTV had not introduced an "extensive programme of reparations and remedies".

The regulating body added that GMTV's "disregard for the need to operate any reasonable compliance procedure" was "gross negligence".

From ace Snoop Doggy dirt digger