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Press Releases & Press Packs
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BBC
publishes latest Programme Complaints Unit and Governors' Programme
Complaints Committee findings
The
BBC today publishes the latest findings of the Programme Complaints
Unit (PCU) and those of the Governors' Programme Complaints Committee
for the period 1 April to 30 June 2003.
In
this quarter the unit dealt with a total of 645 complaints concerning
227 items.
312
complaints were upheld (23 of them partly) - 48.5% of the total
number of complaints received.
Of
the items investigated, complaints were upheld against 26 items
- 11.5% of the total number of complaints received.
The
PCU report contains summaries of the findings in those cases.
In
a foreword to the PCU Bulletin BBC Director-General Greg Dyke explains
that the reason for the high proportion of complaints upheld is
mainly down to one item, a promotional trail for BBC ONE broadcast
from 7.30pm onwards on the evening of 27 May.
He
adds that: "We immediately recognised we'd made a mistake,
withdrew the trail the next day, and issued a statement apologising
for the upset it had caused."
The
Governors' Programme Complaints Committee (GPCC) takes appeals from
complainants who are not happy with the response they have received
from BBC Management.
It
also published its findings for the same period.
It
came to a decision on seven appeals in this quarter, five of which
raised matters of fairness and accuracy and two of which concerned
matters of taste and decency.
Of
these, it upheld one appeal in full and one in part.
In
a foreword to the bulletin, Chairman of the Governors' Programme
Complaints Committee, Sir Robert Smith, commented: "In these
three months, the Committee was particularly concerned with issues
of impartiality in BBC News coverage, which also reflects monitoring
by the full Board of Governors to ensure that the BBC complies with
its Charter obligations.
"As
the BBC Producers' Guidelines state, impartiality is a core value
which lies at the heart of the BBC, and no programming is exempt
from it.
"Overall,
the Committee has concluded in a range of appeals that such requirements
have been met by the programming under scrutiny."
Notes
to Editors
Both
bulletins can be found at www.bbc.co.uk/info/policies/programmecomplaints/
The
Programme Complaints Unit 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.
The
Governors' Programme Complaints Committee (GPCC) consists of five
Governors of the BBC, to whom the full Board of Governors have delegated
the power to consider appeals.
The
GPCC's conclusions are reported to the full Board.
It
is the specific function of the GPCC to consider appeals against
decisions and actions of the Programme Complaints Unit or of the
Directors of BBC Divisions in dealing with serious editorial complaints.
The
GPCC considers appeals in relation to complaints about programmes
transmitted, or material carried, by the BBC'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
BBC's editorial guidelines.
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