Radio Gaming

Lots of excitement from Unique about them getting Chris Tarrant back onto commercial radio to host a series of programmes called Small Price 2 Pay.

Tarrant is quoted as saying: "I am very excited about this new project for digital radio, where once again I find myself in the hot seat, giving away big cash prizes to listeners."

Well it's digital radio in that Classic Gold Digital is broadcast on digital platforms as well as AM where most of their audience remain. But I'll let that lie.

But let's find out more about the format of this sensational new show. Playing lots of music and having banter with the audience is it? Well yes. But that's not really the raison d'être of the programmes.

It's a reverse auction with the lowest unique bid winning. As all the terms and conditions make clear, this is a pay to enter "competition" - effectively the radio equivalent of one of those hideous overnight Call TV Quizzes that I've been railing on against recently. The difference here is that they've got a big name to host the programme - ITV Play only really has an ex-Big Brother contestant in comparison.

And this is gambling. No ifs, no buts.

Is there a free entry route? I can't find it. Is it necessary to only accept bids via premium rate numbers? Of course not, but that's how profits and prizes are paid for.

Do the organisers, Million-2-1 Ltd, have to register with the Gambling Commission? That's not at all clear, although it would seem to be the case that this will be true once the Gambling Act comes into force since there is no free entry.

Personally, I find it sad that radio's following television down this murky path of generating revenue via "gaming" mechanisms.