The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) has today (07.07.21) published its recent broadcasting complaints decisions.
At meetings held on 3rd March, 31st March and 14th April 2021 the Compliance Committee of the BAI considered and upheld 8 complaints. A further 9 complaints were upheld in part, and 11 complaints were rejected.
Each of the eight upheld complaints related to the to the following broadcast:
- RTÉ One: NYE Countdown Show: 31st December 2020
The nine complaints upheld in part related to the following broadcasts:
- RTÉ Radio 1: Brendan O’Connor Show: 29th November 2020
- RTÉ One: NYE Countdown Show: 31st December 2020
- Newstalk 106-108FM: Newstalk Breakfast and The Hard Shoulder – these two programmes were part of five related broadcasts: 10th December 2020
The 11 complaints rejected by the Compliance Committee related to the following broadcasts:
- RTÉ One: Six One News: 30th November 2020
- RTÉ One: The Late Late Toy Show: 27th November 2020
- RTÉ Radio 1: Drivetime: 16th October 2020
- RTÉ Radio 1: The Ryan Tubridy Show: 2nd December 2020
- RTÉ One: Deirdre O’Kane Talks Funny: 14th November 2020
- Virgin Media One: The Green Room: 23rd December 2020
- Newstalk 106-108FM: Five related broadcasts: 10th December 2020
Separately, the Executive Complaints Forum of the BAI considered and rejected 19 complaints in meetings held in March, April and May 2021.
Details of all these decisions are available to download here.
ENDS
Media contact: Joanne Ahern / Thelma Harris, DHR Communications, Tel: 087-9881837 / 083-0517622.
For all other queries, contact the BAI at 01-6441200 or info@bai.ie
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 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.
- Where a complaint is deemed resolved or rejected, the Compliance Committee is satisfied that the matter has been dealt with and that no further action is required.
- 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.
- The decisions deal with the issue of whether a programme or a commercial communication did or did not comply with the relevant legal requirements and the relevant broadcasting codes or rules. The decisions do not constitute endorsement or support for the views of either parties to the complaint nor will they address every aspect of a complaint submission.