Category: ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½
Date: 25.01.2005
Printable version
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Governors today publish
the latest findings of their Programme Complaints Committee - for the
period 1 October to 31 December 2004.
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The Governors' Programme Complaints Committee (GPCC)
is responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of complaints handling
by the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½, including hearing appeals from complainants who are not
happy with the responses they have received from ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ management.
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The GPCC came to findings on 14 appeals in this quarter:
13 related to matters of fairness and accuracy and one concerned matters
of taste and decency.
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After careful consideration the GPCC upheld in part
one appeal.
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In the foreword to the bulletin, Richard Tait, Chairman
of the Governors' Programme Complaints Committee, said: "As a contribution
to the public debate about its mission and the future, last year the
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ published Building Public Value.
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"In it, Governors identified the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s complaints
system as one of the areas in need of reform. As a result, from 1 February
this year, ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ management are introducing a new process for handling
complaints.
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"The aim is to deliver greater accountability,
transparency and a speedier resolution of complaints. A key responsibility
for the committee will be to ensure that these commitments are met."
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Notes to Editors
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The Governors' Programme Complaints Committee (GPCC)
consists of five Governors of the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½, to whom the full Board of Governors
has delegated the power to consider appeals.
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They are: Richard Tait, Deborah Bull, Professor Fabian
Monds and Angela Sarkis. A fifth Governor will be appointed to the Committee
shortly.
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It is the specific function of the GPCC to consider
appeals against decisions and actions of the Programme Complaints Unit
(PCU) or of ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ management in dealing with serious editorial complaints.
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The GPCC considers appeals in relation to complaints
about programmes transmitted, or material carried, by the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s domestic
public services on radio, television and online and which allege:
that the complainant has suffered unfair treatment
in a transmitted item
that the complainant's privacy has been unjustifiably
infringed, either in a programme or item as transmitted, or in the process
of making the programme or item, or
that there has otherwise been a failure adequately
to observe the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½Â’s editorial guidelines.
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From 1 February 2005, as part of the new arrangements
for handling complaints, the GPCC will consider the decisions and actions
of the Editorial Complaints Unit which will replace the PCU.
