A CONTROVERSIAL gameshow on TV3 has been the subject of five formal complaints to the Broadcasting Complaints Commission (BCC).

While five people have made written complaints to the regulator about PlayTV, a further dozen angry viewers have also phoned the commission about their concerns.

The television show, which offers cash prizes of up to €5,000, is already under investigation by the premium telephone regulator RegTel.

Anne O'Brien, the head of the BCC, said: "There are five complaints currently registered against the quiz programme and approximately 12 queries."

On the face of it, the show's concept seems simple, with viewers invited to call in at a cost of €1.50 and given a chance to answer a question live on air.

However, the stumbling block lies in actually getting on air in the first place as viewers are likely to be cut off and told they have been unsuccessful "this time".

The formal complaints will now be sent by the BCC to TV3. The station's response will then be relayed to the angry viewers and if the complainants are happy with the answer, the issue will be considered resolved.

If they are not satisfied with the response, the complaint then goes before the board for a full investigation.

John Glacier, one of those who made a complaint to the BCC, said: "I also think that [the programme is] skirting the Gaming and Lotteries Act. It should not be allowed on the air."

One angry viewer told the Sunday Tribune that he had called PlayTV a total of 57 times and never got through to the studio even once. His total bill would be €85.50, or even higher if the calls were made from a mobile.

Viewers are allowed to call up to 50 times each night before their number is blocked, meaning they can run up a bill of €75 in a single evening. According to TV3, calls can only be made 300 times a month, capping the total spend at €450. However, there is no way of blocking a person from using both a landline and a mobile and doubling the number of times they can enter.

The service is being run for TV3 by an international company called Telemedia Interact, which is based in Malta and offers similar services in more than 40 countries.

On a website explaining how the system works, TV3 said: "Not all calls can be connected. Any call can be connected at any time. This is part of the quiz. It is up to you to choose the moment when you call."

A spokeswoman for TV3 said the station had not received any "notification" from either RegTel or the BCC.

Asked whether TV3 had itself received complaints about the programme, the spokeswoman said: "We have had people ringing up saying they cannot get through to the studio and it is explained to them that this is how the game works.

The controversial show would have been commissioned by TV3's director of programming, Ben Frow.