Channels like "Star" and "Sony" insist that contestants cannot really influence the outcome of shows by getting a few thousand votes because their normal voting volume is in lakhs. A number, they say, is only increasing.
"In the past few years broadcasters have looked at it as a means of creating stickiness but now it's gone beyond that. Now we can carry a revenue stream out of it," said Kaushal Modi, VP Licensing, Sony.
.....Also channels claim they employ data verification agencies that look closely at SMSes. They also have rules on the number of SMSes allowed from a particular number.
These rules change with the show format and the channel it's shown on. For instance "Star One's" Nach Baliye allows 20 SMSes per number while "Sony's" Jhalak Dikhla Ja will allow 500 SMSs a week from a particular number.
Channels claim that if there are too many SMS coming from a certain number they call the service provider and the user to check if the number is being used by a bonafide user.
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