Premium-rate regulator Icstis has promised to introduce licensing for phone-vote service providers within three months. 

The announcement follows crisis talks between Icstis, Ofcom and premium-rate trade body Network for Online Commerce over the scandal currently engulfing broadcasters including ITV, Channel 4 and Five.

The three broadcasters axed all premium-rate quizzes, votes and competitions following allegations that high-profile shows, including Channel 4's Richard & Judy and ITV's The X Factor, had conned the public over premium-rate phone-ins.

ITV admitted that it overcharged X Factor viewers to the tune of £200,000, and hired auditor Deloitte to conduct a review.

However ITV announced this afternoon that its flagship phone-vote show Dancing on Ice will go ahead as planned on 10 March. Analysts estimate that phone-ins boost ITV's annual profits by up to £50m.

The BBC's Saturday Kitchen is also under investigation, but the corporation has resisted calls to suspend its phone lines.

Icstis has set a deadline of 24 March for broadcasters to deliver a comprehensive review of any premium-rate participation programming.

The regulator is also considering introducing a trust mark to restore public confidence.

Icstis chairman Sir Alistair Graham said: "The public enjoys taking part in premium-rate competitions and votes on TV. However public trust has been damaged by [the] allegations. Ensuring viewers get a fair deal is Icstis' absolute priority."

However, Graham added that Ictsis could not take sole responsibility for boosting public confidence.

"Premium rate service providers, programme makers and broadcasters all have a major role to play," he said.

Commons media select committee MP Nigel Evans told the press this week: " These quizzes have become the scourge of television. Perhaps now ITV can go back to making decent television rather than wasting their output on this rubbish."