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Premium rate phone-in saga: ITV Play Channel Axed

ITV & Five suspend all premium rate competitions (March 2007)

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JO
Johnny83
Neil Jones posted:
Johnny83 posted:
Wasn't 0500 the first lot of freephone numbers? 0800 is more common but I think the new freefone number is 0808 ?


0800's been around since well before BT was privatised in the early 1980s. 0500 was given to what was then Mercury Communications after BT was privatised in 1982. Mercury Communications later morphed into Cable & Wireless and was eventually partly purchased by NTL.

0808 is a relatively new free number and was primarily introduced with the rise of unmetered internet dial-up access as there wasn't enough numbers to go round as the number of providers sprang up.

The range 0808 1570xxx is set aside for fictitious uses in TV and radio, in much the same way 01632 is used in TV programmes. Additionally, numbers in the range 0808 80xxxxx are reserved for not-for-profit helplines. Since Orange UK introduced charges for dialling freephone numbers in December 2005, all British mobile networks now charge for calls to freephone numbers, with certain limited exemptions (notably Childline).


Thanks for the info I assumed that 0500 would have come first Embarassed Very Happy
ST
Stuart
Johnny83 posted:
The range 0808 1570xxx is set aside for fictitious uses in TV and radio, in much the same way 01632 is used in TV programmes .

I didn't think that sounded right - try telling it to the people who live in Tyne and Wear with that code! Rolling Eyes

http://www.rp-networkservices.com/tvforum/uploads/01632.jpg
© www.alexnolan.net
NJ
Neil Jones Founding member
StuartPlymouth posted:
Johnny83 posted:
The range 0808 1570xxx is set aside for fictitious uses in TV and radio, in much the same way 01632 is used in TV programmes .

I didn't think that sounded right - try telling it to the people who live in Tyne and Wear with that code! Rolling Eyes


I should have said that its the numbers in the 01632 960000 to 960999 that are reserved by Ofcom and not the full-blown 01632 prefix.
RE
Reboot
roxuk posted:
Does anyone else use 0500 apart from Five Live? I dont remember seeing it used for anything else.

I'm pretty sure no NEW 0500 nos (or 0345 numbers) are being granted now.

Johnny83 posted:
* 0203 is the new London code used for both inner & outer London along side 0207 (inner) & 0208 (outer London)

Wait, I thought the London codes were just 020 (distinguished by people calling from landlines within London having to dial 8-digit numbers after the changeover to 020xxxxxxxx, whereas before they called 7-digit numbers from landlines within London, or 0171/0181 xxx xxxx from outside).
NJ
Neil Jones Founding member
Reboot posted:
roxuk posted:
Does anyone else use 0500 apart from Five Live? I dont remember seeing it used for anything else.

I'm pretty sure no NEW 0500 nos (or 0345 numbers) are being granted now.


Not true, you can still get them if you want them.
0345 was scrapped in favour of 0845 years ago. The old 03xx will be used for a new purpose -It has been agreed by Ofcom on 27 July 2006 that soon companies will be offered to use a '03' geographic number as well as the '0870' national rate numbers.

Callers would be charged at the same rate as existing area codes which start with 01, or 02. This means that customers benefiting from 'free' minutes on mobiles or landlines would also be able to call these numbers. '0870', '0845' and sometimes the freephone '0800' numbers are not usually covered under such call plans
(sourced from Wiki)
ST
Stuart
roxuk posted:
I'm pretty sure no NEW 0500 nos (or 0345 numbers) are being granted now.
Reboot posted:

AFAIK they are being phased out as 04, 05, 06 numbers are supposed to be reserved for future use
Johnny83 posted:
* 0203 is the new London code used for both inner & outer London along side 0207 (inner) & 0208 (outer London)

Wait, I thought the London codes were just 020 (distinguished by people calling from landlines within London having to dial 8-digit numbers after the changeover to 020xxxxxxxx, whereas before they called 7-digit numbers from landlines within London, or 0171/0181 xxx xxxx from outside).

Indeed the London code is 020. They dial 8 digits rather than the 6 most of us have to within our own exchange. But I doubt they dial less than the full number in practice.

It's very annoying to see the London dialling code misquoted on TV on such a regular basis. The correct format it 020 xxxx xxxx. The same for NI - which is 028 xxxx xxxx. This was well advertised to those affected beforehand .

However, I have sympathy with the traders who had to change from 01, to 071, to 0171, to 020 within ten or so years. I'm sure it's not cheap to change shop frontages, vehicles etc

Having worked for a directory enquries company I am aware of the correct format and the way we had to read them out to customers.
HE
Hermes
StuartPlymouth posted:
Johnny83 posted:
The range 0808 1570xxx is set aside for fictitious uses in TV and radio, in much the same way 01632 is used in TV programmes .

I didn't think that sounded right - try telling it to the people who live in Tyne and Wear with that code! Rolling Eyes

http://www.rp-networkservices.com/tvforum/uploads/01632.jpg
© www.alexnolan.net


I think that software is a little wrong... all of those areas are covered by the Tyne and Wear 0191 number
AJ
AJ
Veering slightly back onto topic...

I'm glad that The Hits has ditched it's very low rate and low budget quiz programme that it used to show around this time of night.

It's a breath of fresh air to actually have a music channel actually playing music on Freeview in the early hours!

Lets hope it stays that way!
ST
Stuart
Hermes posted:
I think that software is a little wrong... all of those areas are covered by the Tyne and Wear 0191 number

Well obviously I believed the site to be correct. I doubt they have neglected the introduction of 091/0191 more than ten years ago since the site surely wasn't in existence then.

EDIT:

I am happy to be corrected though (as always).

Now I have to prostrate myself before the room as guilty of dodgy and lacking research.

i have to admit that my source earler may not have been correct. My latest googling seems to indicate that the other Forumer was correct.

http://www.rp-networkservices.com/tvforum/uploads/other.jpg
ZS
ZiggyShadowDust
It looks more certain that a movie channel is going to be added to ITV's portfolio.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/broadcasting/a43967/itv-movie-channel-to-replace-itv-play.html
BR
Brekkie
AJ posted:
Veering slightly back onto topic...

I'm glad that The Hits has ditched it's very low rate and low budget quiz programme that it used to show around this time of night.

It's a breath of fresh air to actually have a music channel actually playing music on Freeview in the early hours!

Lets hope it stays that way!



It seems to have gone unnoticed in the general media that it's been dropped.
IS
Inspector Sands
Neil Jones posted:

0800's been around since well before BT was privatised in the early 1980s.


No, 0800 started a lot later than that, I think Childline was the first (certainly the first I remember). Before that you had to phone the operator and ask for Freephone something. Adverts used to say somethng like 'Dial 100 and ask for Freephone Windows'

Quote:

The range 0808 1570xxx is set aside for fictitious uses in TV and radio, in much the same way 01632 is used in TV programmes.


There are many sets of numbers put aside for fictitious purposes, they are listed on the Ofcom website:
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/telecoms/ioi/numbers/num_drama

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