BBC Home
Commissioning BBC Homepage » Commissioning BBC Vision Commissioning Who's Who Multiplatform Commissioning Terms Of Business TV Starter Pack Code of Practice Terms of Trade Tariff Prices Complaints Financial Guidelines Production Guidelines Programme Delivery Credit Guidelines Branding & Logos Contacts Nations & Regions TV Other TV Services Audio & Music Local Radio Future Media Audience Info Contacts Questions
BBC Complaints Procedures for Independents
Updated Tag This section outlines the procedure for independents handling editorial complaints from the public , fairness and privacy complaints and the revised complaints procedure for independent producers in relation to the commissioning process .
If you have a comment or complaint about any BBC programme please make your comments in the normal way here .
e-Commissioning
Member of the public with ideas can get information here
Writers Room Link
Durations - don't make your programme too long for your slot - check programme and credit durations here
Interactive TV ideas are submitted to the normal genre teams
The BBC's programme complaints process is designed to be open, responsive and accountable to our audiences. The website www.bbc.co.uk/complaints makes it easier for people to send complaints direct to the BBC, and the overwhelming majority of complaints are dealt with in this way.
Independent producers who receive complaints from viewers on programmes made for the BBC need to be aware of the process . How we handle complaints demonstrates how open we are.
If somebody complains to the BBC (eg via the website), normal practice is for the commissioning department to respond to the complainant. They'll let you know that a complaint has been received, and will typically consult you about the response.
When someone complains directly to the independent producer:
If in doubt, ask! In most cases it will make sense for the commissioning department to respond, since this ensures the complaint is dealt with consistently, including offering the option of taking the complaint further in the process.
But if you do respond, the complaint should be responded to by a senior figure involved in the production, within 10 days of receipt, in consultation with the commissioning executive, and forwarded on to BBC Information for logging. Keeping track of a complaint is vital to us - we want to make sure that we learn from complaints and feed through any lessons into our editorial processes.
There are three levels of handling editorial complaints:
We should always try to resolve the complaint at Stage One; but after two exchanges of correspondence you should take advice from the commissioning department about whether to offer the next stage in the process - the appeal to the ECU . In that instance, you can use this form of words to advise the complainant about the process:
' The BBC's complaints system allows for complainants to take their comments further, should they wish, to the Editorial Complaints Unit, which is independent of the programme making areas. You can contact the ECU at the following address, who will decide whether to undertake an independent investigation of the programme. BBC Editorial Complaints Unit, Media Centre, Media Village, 201 Wood Lane, London W12 7TQ '
' The BBC's complaints system allows for complainants to take their comments further, should they wish, to the Editorial Complaints Unit, which is independent of the programme making areas. You can contact the ECU at the following address, who will decide whether to undertake an independent investigation of the programme.
BBC Editorial Complaints Unit, Media Centre, Media Village, 201 Wood Lane, London W12 7TQ '
In Fairness & Privacy cases where individuals complain direct to the BBC (or to an independent production company commissioned by them) we are now required to retain all supporting material and documentation (including rushes etc) for at least 90 days after responding to the initial enquiry. The reason for this is that should the complainant subsequently take their case to OFCOM, the regulator can request all relevant recordings and other supporting material from the broadcaster to assist their own investigations.
NB: 'Fairness' covers any alleged unfair treatment of, or to, contributors in programmes. 'Infringement of privacy' covers the 'obtaining of material included in programmes' and can extend to when the relevant material is re-used in further programmes, in addition to the one for which it was originally obtained. Fairness or privacy complaints can be made by any person or organisation affected by the programme, or by a third party authorised to make the complaint on behalf of the person or organisation affected.
Updated recently
This procedure is for independent production companies with complaints about BBC Vision's commissioning process, which have not been able to be resolved by the commissioning genre. There are three stages in the complaints procedure.
Complaints should be submitted in writing to the Independents Executive (contact details below).
To be eligible at this stage, the complaint needs to fulfil the following criteria, that is, to be:
If the complaint doesn't meet these criteria, the complainant will be informed in writing of the reason why, and where appropriate the complaint may be handled by:
The Independents Executive will take an impartial view of the case with reference to the BBC's published commitments on commissioning, discuss it with both the company concerned and the relevant BBC commissioning or business affairs representative, and seek a resolution.
The investigation includes the gathering of evidence by the Independents Executive, involving interviews, written correspondence/evidence, and the construction of a timeline of events. The issues forming the complaint will be agreed with the complainant in writing.
This process would generally take 4 weeks. Based on that evidence, the Independents Executive will write a response to the complainant. Other BBC executives may become involved to consider the complaint, offer solutions, or respond on behalf of the Indies Exec (for example if he or she is conflicted).
Should the complainant not be satisfied with the response from the Independents Executive, they may appeal to the Vision Complaints Panel.
The panel is managed by Jo Korn, and comprises:
Appeals to the panel should be made within two weeks of receipt of the response from the Independents Executive, to the Vision Complaints Panel manager. She will consider if there are issues that have not been fully addressed at Stage 1, or fundamental process issues, such that an appeal to the VCP is warranted.
The Vision Complaints Panel will:
Should the complainant not be satisfied with the response from the VCP , then cases which relate to the fairness of the commissioning system can be appealed outside BBC Vision to Controller, Fair Trading (Balbir Binning), and investigated by the compliance team.
A request to appeal should be made to the VCP Manager within two weeks of receipt of the decision of the Complaints Panel, who will inform Balbir Binning.
Should the Controller, Fair Trading believe that the complaint merits investigation, the unit will conduct their own investigation, drawing on the response and evidence considered by the Complaints Panel.
This investigation will generally take four weeks.
Krishan Arora , BBC Independents Executive , Room 6239 , BBC Television Centre, Wood Lane , London , W12 7RJ Phone: (020) 8576 1359 Email: krishan.arora@bbc.co.uk
Page last updated 12 August 2009
Change Text Only Settings
Graphic version of this page