PUBLIC REPORT ON AUDIENCE COMMENTS AND COMPLAINTS OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2006 1. ABC Complaint Handling Procedures .................................................................... 3 2. Overview .................................................................................................................... 4 3. Summary of complaints upheld by Audience & Consumer Affairs..................... 6 (i) Matters of fairness, accuracy and independence ....................................................... 6 Factual inaccuracy ............................................................................................................. 6 Bias and Balance.............................................................................................................. 19 Unfair Treatment............................................................................................................... 21 (ii) Matters of taste and standards ................................................................................. 22 Inappropriate content ....................................................................................................... 22 (iii) Standards of Presentation......................................................................................... 24 (iv) Intrusiveness / Invasion of Privacy............................................................................ 25 (v) News values / News content..................................................................................... 25 (vi) Corporate / Infrastructure.......................................................................................... 25 Complaints handling......................................................................................................... 25 4. Summary of investigations completed by the Complaints Review Executive . 27 2 1. ABC Complaint Handling Procedures The ABC is responsible for the quality and standards of all programs on its services. With so many program services being provided each day, from time to time errors may occur. The ABC aims to ensure that they happen as rarely as possible. Should errors occur, however, the ABC accepts responsibility and will respond promptly and appropriately. The ABC seeks to respond to complaints as quickly as possible. We aim to finalise all replies within 28 days of receipt of the complaint. The roles of ABC Audience & Consumer Affairs and the ABC’s Complaints Review Executive are described below. ABC Audience & Consumer Affairs ABC Audience & Consumer Affairs deals with written complaints about ABC programs. Depending on the nature of the complaint, it will either be investigated by Audience & Consumer Affairs or referred to the relevant division for direct response. All written complaints alleging a breach of the ABC’s Editorial Policies will be investigated by Audience & Consumer Affairs. Audience & Consumer Affairs is independent of program making divisions within the ABC. Complaints can be sent to Audience & Consumer Affairs at GPO Box 9994 in your capital city or submitted via ABC Online at www.abc.net.au/contact. If a complainant expresses dissatisfaction with a response received from Audience & Consumer Affairs, the complainant will be advised of the review mechanisms available, including the ABC’s Complaints Review Executive (CRE). Complaints Review Executive The ABC established the role of Complaints Review Executive (CRE) to provide an additional level of internal review for complainants who express dissatisfaction with ABC Audience & Consumer Affairs’ response to their complaint. The CRE has broad scope to independently review both the broadcast and the manner in which the complaint was originally dealt with, and determine whether the ABC acted appropriately. The CRE is independent of both ABC Audience & Consumer Affairs and all program makers. This additional tier of internal review does not preclude complainants from seeking external review via the Australian Communications & Media Authority, or the ABC’s Independent Complaints Review Panel, depending on the nature of the complaint. Both these forms of review are external and entirely independent of the ABC. 3 2. Overview This report provides information about audience complaints finalised by ABC Audience & Consumer Affairs and the ABC’s Complaints Review Executive between 1 October and 31 December 2006. Specifically, the report outlines: the overall composition of contacts finalised; the timeliness of responses; the subject matter of complaints received; and the number of complaints upheld. The report also provides summary details of all complaints upheld by ABC Audience & Consumer Affairs and all reviews finalised by the Complaints Review Executive during this period. Overall there were 13,946 written contacts finalised during this period. Of these, complaints made up 60% of contacts with 8,376 complaints. Of these complaints, 136 (comprising 143 issues) were upheld either fully or partially. This figure represents 1.6% of all complaints finalised during this period. Overall composition of audience contacts Table 1: Written contacts finalised. % of Type of Contact Email Letter Other Total Total Complaint 7844 512 20 8376 60% Appreciation / Request / Suggestion 4721 269 6 4996 36% Other 520 54 - 574 4% Grand Total 13085 835 26 13946 100% Timeliness of response Table 2: Timeliness of responses provided. Type of contact Average response time % of responses provided within 28 days Complaints 23 days 56% All contacts 16 days 70% 4 Subject matter of complaints finalised Table 3: Topics of complaint issues finalised. Note that this table counts the number of issues raised by the contacts received. As one contact can raise multiple issues the figures in this table will not match exactly those quoted above for contacts. It also includes complaints reviewed by the CRE. Category Topic Sub Topic Upheld Total % Audience preferences Scheduling / program changes Discontinuation of program 3400 40.4% Other 129 1.5% Interruption to regular schedule 59 0.7% Change of format 54 0.6% Change of timeslot 29 0.3% Too many repeats 4 0.0% Sub-total 0 3675 43.7% Quality - general N/A 158 1.9% Sub-total 0 3833 45.6% Fairness, accuracy & Bias Pro-government 1 1545 18.4% independence Other political 247 2.9% Other 2 237 2.8% Anti-government 3 39 0.5% Pro ALP 29 0.3% Pro Coalition 15 0.2% Anti-opposition 6 0.1% Sub-total 6 2118 25.2% Factual inaccuracy N/A 83 319 3.8% Balance N/A 5 135 1.6% Unfair treatment Denigration 29 0.3% Other 22 0.3% Racism 2160.2% Discrimination 1 10 0.1% Sexism 1100.1% Sub-total 4 87 1.0% Incidental advertising - Non ABC products / logos N/A 19 0.2% Sub-total 98 2678 31.9% Broadcast standards Standards of presentation Language - pronunciation / grammar / spelling 143 1.7% Other 140 1.7% Personal presentation 101 1.2% Language - poor terminology / misuse of word 1 57 0.7% Program presentation / set design / camera work 48 0.6% Sound quality / voiceovers / background music 42 0.5% Sub-total 1 531 6.3% News values / news content Not enough coverage 1 158 1.9% Other 112 1.3% Too much coverage 74 0.9% Placement in bulletin 12 0.1% Sub-total 1 356 4.2% Inappropriate content Bad example 1 90 1.1% Other 3560.7% Poor taste 18 49 0.6% Bad language / profanity / swearing 4 47 0.6% Sex and sexuality 2 32 0.4% Violence 3 30 0.4% Offence to religious feeling 23 0.3% Nudity 4 0.0% Drugs / smoking / alcohol 3 0.0% Sub-total 31 334 4.0% Standards of interviewing Too tough / aggressive / rude to guest 1 74 0.9% Other 22 0.3% Poor context / research / background 20 0.2% Too easy on guest 15 0.2% Sub-total 1 131 1.6% Promotions - ABC programs and products Too many promotions 16 0.2% Not as advertised / misleading / inconsistent 8 0.1% Other 6 0.1% Too intrusive 2 0.0% Too few promotions 2 0.0% Too revealing 2 0.0% Sub-total 0 36 0.4% Sensitivity and portrayal N/A 14 0.2% Intrusiveness / invasion of privacy N/A 1 4 0.0% Sub-total 35 1406 16.7% Corporate / Infrastructure Management issues N/A 121 1.4% Internet - technical difficulties N/A 120 1.4% Transmission N/A 102 1.2% Customer service / complaints handling N/A 10 93 1.1% Captions N/A 19 0.2% Sub-total 10 455 5.4% Other Other N/A 35 0.4% Grand Total 143 8407 100.0% 5 3. Summary of complaints upheld by Audience & Consumer Affairs In each case where a complaint is upheld the ABC provides a written response to the complainant acknowledging its error. Where appropriate, additional action is taken to rectify the mistake and/or ensure that the problem does not recur. Findings in response to upheld complaints can include the following: written apologies to complainants; on-air corrections and apologies; counselling or reprimanding of staff; amending programs for future broadcasts; and reviews of and improvements to procedures. On occasion, a complaint may be upheld for more than one reason. (i) Matters of fairness, accuracy and independence Factual inaccuracy There were 83 complaints upheld on the grounds of factual inaccuracy. Upheld complaints of factual inaccuracy regarding television programs Foreign Correspondent 11 July 2006 The complaint Eleven complaints were upheld regarding an inaccurate reference in a report titled “Estonia – Sex Tours”. Findings The complainants had originally been advised by the ABC that the program was accurate. However, after a further review was conducted, the ABC agreed that the reporter’s statement that one third of Estonia's citizens live in poverty lacked the necessary precision. This statement was based on interviews conducted for the program but should