Category: BBC

Date: 02.11.2004
Printable version

The BBC 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.  

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. 

In all 49 complaints were upheld (seven of them partly) - 17.5% of the total number of complaints received.  

Of the items investigated, complaints were upheld against 37 items - 19.5% of the total number of complaints received. 

The complaints upheld (by category of complaint) involved: 

Matters of fairness and accuracy:

Innovation Nation (BBC ONE), Six O'Clock News (BBC ONE), The World At One (Radio 4), Britain Goes Wild With Bill Oddie (BBC TWO), Pick Of The Week (Radio 4), Sarah Kennedy (Radio 2), South East Today (BBC ONE), You and Yours (Radio 4), Ten O'Clock News (BBC ONE), Top Gear (BBC TWO), Watching The Detectives (BBC ONE), Thought For The Day (Radio 4), EastEnders (BBC ONE), North West Tonight (BBC ONE), In The Know (BBC ONE), Richard Reynolds (BBC Southern Counties Radio).  

Matters of taste and standards:

Dick and Dom in Da Bungalow (BBC ONE), Breakfast with Frost (BBC ONE), BBC News 24 coverage of Glastonbury 2004, Grandstand (BBC ONE), trails for Messiah (BBC ONE), Glastonbury 2004 (BBC THREE), Never Mind The Buzzcocks (BBC TWO), North East News (BBC ONE), Traffic Cops (BBC ONE), Royal Ascot (BBC TWO), Adrian Goldberg's Breakfast Show (BBC Radio WM), Top Gear (BBC TWO), Spoony (Radio 1), Midday News (Radio Five Live), Today (Radio 4), Xchange (CBBC), Julian Worricker (Radio Five Live).

The PCU report contains summaries of the findings in those cases.    

Notes to Editors  

The bulletin can be found at bbc.co.uk/info.

The BBC 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.  

The principle that it investigates complaints impartially and independently of the interests of the programme makers will remain, and will be strengthened.  

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. 

The PCU deals with letters of complaint which give reason to believe that something broadcast by the BBC's licence fee-funded services may have fallen seriously short of the standards set out in the BBC Producers' Guidelines.  

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 BBC for attention.  

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.