A quiz show scandal

With so much discussion about Kaun Banega Crorepati every season, I was intrigued by this article by Charles Van Doren who was the centre of a quiz show scandal in the late 1950s. At that time a popular quiz show used to supply answers to participants to keep audience interest in the show.

When a particular participant was staying on too long, the producers would introduce someone who had answers to the questions just to make sure that the older one lost. What was interesting was that apart from providing the answers the participants were also coached how to answer so that they looked genuine.

When this fraud became public, there was Congressional hearing where a lot of participants admitted to being involved. Since this was the first time this had happened at this level the US Congress passed a law prohibiting the fixing of quiz shows. However - and this i find interesting since the actions were not illegal no one went to prison for rigging the shows.

In the article for the first time Charles van Doren writes about his experience. All this time he had never given any interviews or written about the subject quite unlike the celebs of today.

I have often wondered are games in India ever rigged? Also what would happen if we ever found out?