Latest Broadcasting Complaints Decisions Published

The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) has today (28th January) published the most recent broadcasting complaints decisions.
At meetings held in May and November 2015, the Compliance Committee of the BAI considered seven complaints. All seven complaints have been rejected.

The complaints received concerned programmes aired on RTÉ One Television, RTÉ Radio One, iRadio and Cork City Community Radio.

The complaints related to the following broadcasts:-

Rejected by the BAI Compliance Committee
113/14 & 114/14 – RTÉ One Television: Six One and Nine News: 12th September 2014
120 & 121/15 – RTÉ Radio One: The Ray D’Arcy Show: 7th & 25th May 2015
131/15 – Cork City Community Radio: Happy Talk: 28th August 2015
136/15 – RTÉ Radio One: The Ray D’Arcy Show: 4th August 2015
137/15 – iRadio: The Cracked i: 10th September 2015

Details of all these decisions are available to download on the publications section of this website.

ENDS
Media Queries to: Tony Heffernan / Catherine Heaney
DHR Communications
01 4200580/ 087 2399508/ 087 2309835
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 BAI has considered the matter and issued its determination, that is the end of the process.