The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) has today (17th December 2014) published the most recent broadcasting complaints decisions. At a meeting held in November the Compliance Committee of the BAI considered and rejected four complaints. In addition, five complaints were resolved by the Executive Complaints Forum at meetings held in November. The complaints related to the following broadcasts: Rejected by BAI Compliance Committee
- RTÉ Radio One: Morning Ireland: 17th July 2014
- RTÉ Radio One: The Marian Finucane Show: 29th July 2014
- RTÉ Radio One: Liveline: 22nd & 23rd July 2014
- RTÉ Radio One: Drivetime: 3rd September 2014
Resolved by the Executive Complaints Forum
- RTÉ Radio One: Drivetime: 9th September 2014
- RTÉ Radio One: Promotion for Morning Ireland: 1st September 2014
- RTÉ One Television: Eastenders: 6th October 2014
- RTÉ Radio One: Morning Ireland: 30th September 2014
- RTÉ One Television: Six One News: 1st September 2014
Details of all these decisions are available to download here. ENDS. Media Queries to: Tony Heffernan / Emily Kelly, DHR Communications, Tel: 01-4200580 / 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.