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£250,000 fine over calls shame
A BIRMINGHAM telecoms firm at the centre of the GMTV phone-in scandal has been fined a record £250,000 and faces the possibility of a £20 million payout.
Opera Telecom Ltd, based in Brindleyplace, showed a "reckless disregard" for the interests of callers, the premium rate services regulator Icstis said as it imposed the largest fine in its 21-year history.
The company organised competitions for GMTV over nearly four years in which at least 18 million viewers were charged more than £1 a call for entering when they had "no chance of winning".
Opera Telecom, whose turnover tops £100 million and whose owner Gary Corbett has an estimated wealth of £75 million, was also ordered by Icstis to fully refund complainants.
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