Interesting report from the BBC about yesterday’s (I think) procedings in the Culture Select Committee examing “quiz TV” shows.
At first it seems curious that Sky Bet should be so vehement in its opposition to the current state of play. Surely all these channels are paying the parent BSkyB lots of cash to rent space on the EPG?
But of course Sky Bet is likely to be far more tightly controlled in what it can and can’t do as a gaming channel. Sky Bet is out and out gambling with all that comes with it. Currently Quiz TV channels aren’t.
Is there really any “skill” involved in these channels? Mostly they seem to be guessing what words the company might have thought of, or calculating sums using rules that are never explained.
However, committee chairman, Tory MP John Whittingdale, said some of the questions were dubious.
He said one programme had asked viewers to name items found in a woman’s handbag.
The winning answer, Mr Whittingdale said, to laughter from the committee, was “rawlplugs”.
I’d link to the full procedings of the session, but Hansard is not yet up to date.
In the meantime, perhaps it might be worthwhile watching last Sunday’s Panorama which examined internet gambling. Of course it’s going to mean problems down the line as websites advertise and gambling becomes the norm more and more.
I did take exception to the way the programme’s presenter played poker to demonstrate the addictive qualities. He got a lad who was supposed to be pretty good at internet poker in to try and double $2000 in a couple of weeks. Except that when he did so in 48 hours they carried on, and carried on, until all the money was gone. All a bit fake if you ask me. They were just trying to drum home the addictive qualities of gambling.