Category: ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½
Date: 02.11.2004
Printable version
The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ is on track for improving the way complaints are handled at
the Corporation, Director-General Mark Thompson said today, introducing
the findings of the Programme Complaints Unit (PCU) for the period 1
July to 30 September 2004. Ìý
A new complaints procedure, announced earlier this year, will come
into operation by early 2005.
In this quarter the PCU dealt with a total of 284 complaints concerning
191 items.Ìý
In all 49 complaints were upheld (seven of them partly) - 17.5% of
the total number of complaints received. Ìý
Of the items investigated, complaints were upheld against 37 items
- 19.5% of the total number of complaints received.Ìý
The complaints upheld (by category of complaint) involved:Ìý
Matters of fairness and accuracy:
Innovation Nation (ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ ONE), Six O'Clock News (ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ ONE), The World
At One (Radio 4), Britain Goes Wild With Bill Oddie (ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ TWO), Pick
Of The Week (Radio 4), Sarah Kennedy (Radio 2), South East Today (ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½
ONE), You and Yours (Radio 4), Ten O'Clock News (ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ ONE), Top Gear
(ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ TWO), Watching The Detectives (ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ ONE), Thought For The Day (Radio
4), EastEnders (ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ ONE), North West Tonight (ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ ONE), In The Know
(ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ ONE), Richard Reynolds (ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Southern Counties Radio). Ìý
Matters of taste and standards:
Dick and Dom in Da Bungalow (ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ ONE), Breakfast with Frost (ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ ONE),
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ News 24 coverage of Glastonbury 2004, Grandstand (ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ ONE), trails
for Messiah (ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ ONE), Glastonbury 2004 (ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ THREE), Never Mind The
Buzzcocks (ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ TWO), North East News (ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ ONE), Traffic Cops (ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ ONE),
Royal Ascot (ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ TWO), Adrian Goldberg's Breakfast Show (ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio WM),
Top Gear (ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ TWO), Spoony (Radio 1), Midday News (Radio Five Live),
Today (Radio 4), Xchange (CÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½), Julian Worricker (Radio Five Live).
The PCU report contains summaries of the findings in those cases.
Ìý Ìý
Notes to Editors Ìý
The bulletin can be found at bbc.co.uk/info.
The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ has announced new streamlined procedures to make complaints.
Those procedures are now in the process of being rolled out.
Under the reforms, the Programme Complaints Unit will change its name
to the Editorial Complaints Unit and will become the first level of
appeal rather than the initial point of contact for serious complaints.
Ìý
The principle that it investigates complaints impartially and independently
of the interests of the programme makers will remain, and will be strengthened.
Ìý
Under the current system the Head of the Unit needs the agreement
of the programme-making or output department before finalising any decision
to uphold a complaint, but under the new system the Unit's decision
will be binding.
In the meantime the Programme Complaints Unit will continue to investigate
complaints and publish its quarterly bulletin.Ìý
The PCU deals with letters of complaint which give reason to believe
that something broadcast by the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s licence fee-funded services may
have fallen seriously short of the standards set out in the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Producers'
Guidelines. Ìý
Complaints about other matters, such as policy, changes to the published
schedule, technical standards or questions of personal preference, are
forwarded to the appropriate areas of the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ for attention. Ìý
The unit is commissioned to investigate complaints impartially and
to recommend appropriate redress.
Generally this involves viewing or listening to a recording of the
material and pursuing the complainants' points with the programme-makers
and editorial executives directly responsible. Ìý
