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WIN TV breaches Code of Practice

WIN Television has breached the Code of Practice because it did not make every reasonable effort to resolve a complaint from a viewer.

The media watchdog has found that WIN Television breached the Code of Practice because it did not make every reasonable effort to resolve a complaint from a viewer.

The complaint pertained to a June 2011 broadcast of 60 Minutes, with a viewer unhappy about the image of a dead badly-bruised baby, used without any warning.

WIN, which had broadcast the Nine programme, responded to the complainant within 16 days but without any explanation as to the error.

WIN tells the Australian Communication and Media Authority, “At the time of responding, we were not able to ascertain from the Nine Network as to why the program did not have the appropriate warnings at the head of the program and at the commencement of the segment. In fact, we still do not have a response today to that question, despite forwarding the complaint to them.

“In hindsight, in sending the correspondence on to Nine, we did not seek a response within our letter, we highlighted that this complaint was likely to become an issue with the ACMA. An explanation or response/acknowledgement to us in these circumstances was warranted.

“WIN is a metropolitan and regional broadcaster and does not at all treat its complaints lightly. Nevertheless, as a broadcaster who has program agreements with the three metropolitan networks, there are some difficulties at times when dealing with complaints.”

While ACMA found WIN in breach it didn’t specifically recommend any outcomes.

4 Responses

    1. It was up to WIN to respond to the complainant. If it has communication difficulties with Nine it shouldn’t impact on the viewer. If it isn’t prepared to take responsibility for the shows it is screening, and meeting broadcasting standards, it should screen something else.

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