GMTV drops Opera, staff 'removed from normal duties'

Link: BBC NEWS | Entertainment | GMTV drops its phone-in provider

Well it’s all go today isn’t it? Learning from previous similar episodes, ITV breakfast broadcaster GMTV have ousted Opera Telecom (or Opera Interactive Group, as they’re now called) as their provider of premium phone and text services ‘with immediate effect’.

Meanwhile, here’s the latest statement from Opera themselves:

Earlier this year Opera Interactive Technology took positive steps to improve its administration procedures and can confirm that all competition contestant entries throughout the entire competition period are now considered equally and fairly, whether handled directly by Opera Interactive Technology or by its telecommunications partners, using a randomised computer programme.

This process implemented as at 1st March 2007 has been observed and reviewed by Deloitte’s and has been successfully passed as satisfactory and in full compliance with the latest ICSTIS guidelines.

Opera has in no way benefited financially from any errors in procedure in the past and will continue to keep its processes in line with any future OFCOM or ICSTIS guidelines.

Opera Interactive Technology has today removed relevant staff from normal duties with regard to GMTV competitions pending further investigation.

The last paragraph about removing staff seems to be a bit pointless – maybe it was written before GMTV announced they’d ditched them.