How best to complain to ACMA about Alan Jones' NBN inaccuracies

[Renai LeMayKeymaster]

hi everyone,

one of Delimiter’s readers sent a complaint to ACMA regarding Alan Jones’ NBN inaccuracies (here and here). The following email was received in response. The reader believes, and I agree, that this constitutes a useful guide to formulating these kinds of complaints. Do with it as you will :)

Cheers,

Renai

—–

Dear [removed]

Thank you for your email to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (the ACMA) regarding your concerns about inaccuracies and unbalanced opinions expressed on the Alan Jones program broadcast on 2GB. I also note the link to an online story about Alan Jones commenting on the National Broadband Network, which you have provided as an example.

General information
The ACMA is the Commonwealth body responsible for the regulation of broadcasting, the internet, radiocommunications and telecommunications. The ACMA can receive complaints about the content of radio and television broadcasts; however, most complaints must first be made to the broadcaster concerned about particular broadcast/s. This is because, under the co-regulatory regime established by the Broadcasting Services Act 1992, it is broadcasters themselves who are responsible for the material they broadcast.

For information about the broadcasting complaints process and the ACMA’s role in it please follow the link below:

http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_90137

Code of Practice
2GB is a commercial radio broadcaster and as such is bound by the Commercial Radio Australia Codes of Practice 2011. A copy of this code is available at the Codes Index on the ACMA’s website:

http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=IND_REG_CODES_BCAST

In relation to your complaint I refer you to clauses 2.2- 2.3 of the code, which deal with preparation and presentation of current affairs programs. If you consider that the material of concern to you was in breach of the code, you may make a complaint about the matter. Your complaint must be made to 2GB in the first instance. Please note that commercial radio broadcasters are not obliged to respond to a complaint made more than 30 days after the date of the broadcast which is the subject of the complaint.

Making a complaint
If you decide to complain to 2GB, you are advised to refer to Section 5 of the code, which deals with complaints handling. This section of the code requires that complaints be made by letter, fax, or the online electronic complaint form (not email!). 2GB’s contact details (and access to their online complaint form) are at:

http://www.2gb.com/contact

Once you open the link, you need to click on the link “Click here to submit a complaint” if you want to lodge your complaint using the online electronic complaint form.

If you decide to submit your complaint using the online electronic complaint form, make sure you tick the box in the form labelled ‘Breach of the Commercial Radio Australia Codes of Practice’ if you believe that the licensee has breached the code.

If you decide to submit your complaint by letter or fax, and you believe that the licensee has breached the code, your complaint must include an explicit assertion that the station has broadcast matter which, in your opinion, breaches the Commercial Radio Australia Codes of Practice 2011 (see clause 5.1 of the code).

Please be advised that your complaint to the station cannot be general and must adequately identify the material broadcast eg by citing a particular date/s and time/s of broadcast.

You are advised to make and keep a copy of any letter or form you send to the station, for future reference.

What happens next
If you complain to 2GB and are dissatisfied with their response or do not receive a response at all within 60 days after making the complaint, you may refer the complaint to the ACMA. If you want the ACMA to investigate your complaint under these circumstances, could you please provide us with a copy of all correspondence between you and 2GB.

I hope this information is of assistance.

Yours sincerely

Broadcasting Investigations
_____________________________
Australian Communications and Media Authority
E broadcasting@acma.gov.au
http://www.acma.gov.au

[KarlParticipant]

Please note that commercial radio broadcasters are not obliged to respond to a complaint made more than 30 days after the date of the broadcast which is the subject of the complaint.
So the deadline to complain to the station about the earlier broadcast is 28th november. It’s not clear to me if you miss that deadline, whether you can still complain to ACMA when you receive the station’s response or don’t receive one after 60 days, although I imagine you can.

• This reply was modified 6 months, 1 week ago by  Karl.

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