The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) has today (20th November) published the most recent broadcasting complaints decisions.
At meetings held in September and October, the Compliance Committee of the BAI considered 11 complaints. Of these, one complaint was upheld in part and 10 complaints were rejected. In addition, five complaints were resolved by the Executive Complaints Forum at meetings held in August, September and October.
The complaints related to the following broadcasts:
Upheld in Part by the BAI Compliance Committee
• Newstalk: Newstalk Breakfast Show: 27th June 2014
Rejected by BAI Compliance Committee
• RTÉ Two: The Savage Eye: 12th May 2014
• RTÉ Two: The Savage Eye: 5th May 2014
• RTÉ Two: The Savage Eye: 5th, 12th, 19th May and 3rd June 2014
• TV3: The People’s Debate with Vincent Browne: 4th June 2014
• RTÉ One: 6.01 News: 21st May 2014
• South East Radio: News: 5th August 2014
• RTÉ Radio One: Today with Seán O’Rourke: 1st August 2014
Resolved by the Executive Complaints Forum
• RTÉ One: Advertisement – Guinness ‘Sapeurs’: 4th May 2014
• RTÉ Radio 1: Drivetime: 26th March 2014
• RTÉ One: Nine News: 22nd June 2014
• RTÉ Radio One: Promo – Ireland’s Biggest Jukebox on RTÉ Gold: 1st July 2014
• RTÉ One: The Savage Eye: 19th August 2014
Media Queries to:
Catherine Heaney/ Tony Heffernan
DHR Communications
087 2309835/ 087 2399508
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.