What will happen to your complaint?

If you have submitted the information required within thirty days of the broadcast, and the issue you have raised is within the ambit of the BCC, we will send your letter to the broadcaster for consideration.

The broadcaster then has twenty-one days to reply to the letter if he so wishes. If the broadcaster does respond, we forward the response to you for consideration. If you are not happy with the broadcasters response, write to us. We will then request a tape of the broadcast from the broadcaster. The tape together with all the correspondence is circulated to the Members of the Commission for consideration and decision.

If the broadcaster chooses not to respond to your letter, we will request a tape of the broadcast and forward your correspondence together with the tape to the Member of the Commission for consideration and decision.

The Commission will decide whether or not the broadcaster has respected the codes/legislation

If the Commission agrees with the complaint it will be upheld.

If the Commission disagrees, the complaint will be rejected.

A summary of the correspondence is drafted. The decision of the Commission, together with the reasons for the decision, is included with the summary.

A copy of the decision will be sent to you and the broadcaster before its publication. If the programme/advertisement is produced by a person other than the broadcaster, the Commission will also forward a copy of the decision to the relevant person.

All the decisions of the Commission are available to the public. Unless it considers it inappropriate to do so, summaries of all complaints are distributed to the media, listed in the Commissions Annual Report and posted to this website, decisions. The information published includes the name of the complainant.

The Commission can request the broadcaster to publish particulars of the decision on a complaint in a manner as shall be agreed between the Commission and the broadcaster concerned.

Where a complaint is upheld, in whole or in part, the broadcaster concerned shall, unless the Commission consider it inappropriate to do so, broadcast the Commissions decision, of the person who made the complaint, including, in the case of a complaint under subsection (2)(f) (slander), any correction of inaccurate facts or information relating to the individual concerned, at a time and manner corresponding to that in which the broadcast to which the complaint relates took place.

The Commission does not have any power to award to any party costs or expenses.

All communications to the Commission must be addressed to:

Secretary,
Broadcasting Complaints Commission,
2 - 5 Warrington Place,
Dublin 2.

If you have any further queries regarding complaint procedures, e-mail us at info@bcc.ie,
or telephone us on 644 1280.