The Beyond Dispute
Code of Fairness

It is often assumed that UK quiz and game shows involving prize money are subject to mandatory independent oversight. In fact, no such legal requirement exists. While some productions appoint an independent adjudicator, the role itself is not prescribed by statute and its remit can vary. Fairness therefore depends not on titles, but on clear, demonstrable processes.

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At Beyond Dispute, we ensure that quiz and game shows cannot reasonably be criticised for fairness.
We make sure they are Beyond Dispute; but what does that actually mean?

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In the UK, broadcast fairness is overseen by Ofcom. Section 7 of the Ofcom Broadcasting Code sets out the core requirements:

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• Rule 7.1: Broadcasters must avoid unjust or unfair treatment of individuals.

• Rule 7.2: Broadcasters and programme makers must be straightforward with contributors.

• Rule 7.3: Participants must be informed about the nature of the programme and any significant changes as it develops.

 

These principles are right and necessary. The challenge for producers is practical: how do you evidence compliance with them, consistently and defensibly, across an entire production?

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That is where Beyond Dispute comes in.

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We have more than twenty years’ experience ensuring that quiz and game shows are run fairly. We have worked on close to 100 formats, supported tens of thousands of contestants, and overseen the fair award of many millions of pounds (and dollars). Over that time, we have developed robust systems that ensure the shows we work on stand up to the most rigorous scrutiny.

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Rather than reinventing the wheel on every production, we apply a fixed, pre-determined framework to all shows we support. This removes reliance on individual judgement, reduces the risk of unconscious bias, and protects productions from external pressure or influence.

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If a show satisfies every requirement of this framework — what we call the Beyond Dispute Code of Fairness — we can be confident that it meets both the spirit and the letter of regulatory expectations.

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For obvious reasons, we do not publish the Code itself. It is proprietary intellectual property, and publishing it would also reveal too much about the inner mechanics of how quiz and game shows are made. Contestants must always be treated fairly and transparently, but producers still have a programme to make, and some processes quite properly remain behind the scenes.

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What we can say is this: the Code works.

In over two decades of applying it, there has never been a substantiated fairness complaint about a programme we have supported.

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That is what it means for a show to be Beyond Dispute.

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Is your show Beyond Dispute?

 

 

 

 

 

 

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