The “complaints-regulation-more complaints” spiral - where complaints of improprieties rise after new regulation meant to moderate behaviour is introduced – may be set to continue with Ofcom launching its investigation into the quiz TV sector. We saw this trend with the MAC migration rules issue.

According to the Guardian:

Ofcom said today that it had “serious concerns” about a “growing trend” in complaints relating to the conduct of some quiz TV competitions.

The regulator, which last week confirmed it would launch an official investigation into the quiz TV sector, told broadcasters it would consider the imposition of “statutory sanctions” against those who “seriously, deliberately or repeatedly” breach the code.

Two more Quiz Call programmes were found guilty of breaching the broadcasting code. An episode of Quiz Call on Channel Five last year was ruled against after a presenter described a “difficult mathematics” game as “easy”. The Word Association game on the Quiz Call channel, which was owned by Channel 4 at the time of the complaint in September was also censured.