The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) has today (13th June) published the most recent broadcasting complaints decisions.
At meetings held on 3rd and 21st May 2014, the Compliance Committee of the BAI considered 17 complaints in respect of 12 programmes. Of these, two complaints were upheld, five complaints were upheld in part and 10 complaints were rejected. In addition, three complaints were resolved by the Executive Complaints Forum at its meetings, also held in May. The complaints related to the following broadcasts:
Upheld by the BAI Compliance Committee
RTÉ Radio 1: The Business: 1st February 2014
Newstalk: Newstalk Breakfast (Competition): 28th February 2014
Upheld in Part by BAI Compliance Committee
Newstalk: The Right Hook: 3rd January 2014
Newstalk: The Right Hook: 27th January 2014
RTÉ One: Nine O’ Clock News: 3rd May 2014 (3 complaints received)
Rejected by BAI Compliance Committee
RTÉ One: Saturday Night Show: 25th January 2014 (4 complaints received)
RTÉ One: 6.01 News: 3rd January 2014
RTÉ One: Nine O’ Clock News: 3rd January 2014
RTÉ One: Prime Time: 5th December 2013
RTÉ One: Joe Brolly: Perfect Match: 18th November 2013
RTÉ One: 6.01 News: 27th November 2013
RTÉ Radio 1: The Mooney Show: 20th January 2014
Resolved by the Executive Complaints Forum
RTÉ One: 6.01 News: 12th February 2014
RTÉ Two: Next Week’s News: 17th February 2014
RTÉ Radio 1: The Marian Finucane Show: 1st March 2014
Details of all these decisions are available to download here.
Media Queries to:
Tony Heffernan/Emily Kelly
DHR Communications
087 2399508 / 087-9759248
Note to Editors
Under the Broadcasting Act 2009, viewers and listeners can complain about broadcasting content, which they believe is not in keeping with the BAI’s broadcasting codes and rules. In line with the BAI’s complaints handling process, the viewer or listener should direct their complaint to the broadcaster in the first instance. This must be done within 30 days of the date of the broadcast.
If a viewer or listener is not satisfied with the response from the broadcaster, or if the broadcaster does not respond within the timeframe specified in their Code of Practice for Complaints Handling (usually 21 days after receipt of complaint), the viewer or listener can refer the complaint to the BAI for consideration.
In assessing complaints, and having regard to its codes and rules, the BAI considers the material submitted by the relevant parties together with the broadcast material. Complaints are assessed at Executive level and/or by the Compliance Committee of the Authority.
When a complaint has been adjudicated upon:
A copy of the decision is sent to the complainant and the broadcaster before its publication.
- The decisions of the BAI are distributed to the media and posted to the BAI’s website, unless it considers it inappropriate to do so.
- Where a programming complaint is upheld, in whole or in part, the broadcaster concerned will broadcast the Compliance Committee’s decision, if the Compliance Committee believes it appropriate to do so. This could include the name of the person who made the complaint. This will be done at a time and manner suitably similar or close to the timing of the original broadcast which prompted the complaint. The only exception to this will be a situation where the Compliance Committee considers it inappropriate to broadcast the decision.
- When the Compliance Committee has considered the matter and issued its determination, that is the end of the process.
Full details of the complaints process, including contact details for complaints to individual broadcasters is available here.