A report by BBC director general Mark Thompson into the premium rate phone line controversies that engulfed Blue Peter and cookery show Saturday Kitchen has conceded that "serious errors of judgment" were made on the two programmes.

Mr Thompson conceded that "in a number of instances, BBC programmes have fallen short of our high standards", but added that a review of the use of premium rate services in more than 200 other programmes had found "no evidence of systemic abuse or failure".

The BBC trust, which published the report yesterday, said it would launch its own review into the corporation's use of participation TV services. It will be headed by former BBC director of news Ron Neil, who also presided over the report into the corporation's handling of the Iraq dossier row after the Hutton inquiry. He is expected to report by the autumn.

The review was prompted by the Blue Peter row, in which a child visiting the show's studio was asked to call into a quiz after phone lines went down. The BBC apologised following a complaint about the incident while the show's editor Richard Marson subsequently left his job.

Saturday Kitchen was also criticised following an episode of the BBC1 show in which viewers were encouraged to enter a competition during a pre-recorded episode.

The BBC trust yesterday called the Blue Peter row "particularly serious" and said "grave mistakes" had been "compounded by serious errors of judgment in not referring the matter to senior management.

"The errors which occurred around the Blue Peter programme on November 27 last year were particularly serious," said Sir Michael Lyons, the BBC trust chairman. "The case of Saturday Kitchen has also revealed flaws which, in the view of the trust, resulted in viewers being misled." Mr Thompson said that all live phone-in competitions on half-hour long shows such as Blue Peter had been suspended indefinitely until further safeguards could be put in place. BBC sources said there was a strong likelihood such contests may never return.

A BBC spokesman added that the length of 30-minute programmes meant there was "no margin of error" for unexpected difficulties, although the corporation was keeping an "open mind" on their future.

Mr Thompson also unveiled a series of initiatives he said would "help to restore public confidence" in premium rate phone-ins and interactive competitions. These include additional sample checks on programmes by an external auditor, a BBC-wide working party led by the BBC1 controller, Peter Fincham, to review use of telephony and text voting, and a new internal referral system to ensure the BBC's editorial policy department is more closely involved.

A separate review of the use of premium rate telephony in children's programming will be launched while a senior editorial figure will be nominated on every production to be responsible for compliance in the use of premium rate services.

Mr Thompson said: "It is very important that when members of the public take part in such activities, they can do so with confidence." Sir Michael added: "The BBC's interactivity with audiences is not a commercial imperative but part of the BBC's public service."

Controversies over participation TV shows have hit all major broadcasters. Regulators Ofcom and Icstis have also launched inquiries into the contests.

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