D-Day for E-Day
Updated: From today viewers will be able to forward complaints about commercial free to air networks electronically.
- Published by David Knox
- on
- Filed under News
From today viewers will be able to forward complaints about commercial free to air networks electronically.
The new system will be facilitated via the Free TV Australia website, which represents Seven, Nine, TEN and regional affiliates.
It does not cover the ABC, SBS or Pay TV channels.
Complaints about the Commercial Code of Practice can be submitted regarding:
Code Complaints include program classification;
accuracy, fairness and respect for privacy in news and current affairs;
the amount of non-program matter on television;
and placement of commercials and program promotions.
Complaints must be received within 30 days of their broadcast.
The new system facilitates an electronic means of providing the same information which had always been required for post and fax complaints.
Free TV website is now updated its information to accept electronic complaints.
8 Responses
@ Neon Kitten, Jade, Jed and Angry Face – the Free TV Australia website clearly states that “this electronic lodgement System can only be used for complaints under matters covered by the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice”. So if you complain about silly matters such as when programs start and finish, they will have no legal obligation to respond to your complaint at all. Complaining about program starting times is stupid anyway. As private businesses who are providing you with a service free of charge, they are not indebted to you in any way. They owe you nothing, so how can you complain that their service isn’t good enough.
Ten years ago i would have complained, but I rarely watch FTA now that I can purchase what I enjoy watching on DVD.
Ill be complaining each time a show I watch starts early or late, or finishes late. In other words, I will probably be complaining multiple times a week. The networks are going to love me.
Yep i’m with Neon Kitten. I will complain about programs not starting or finishing on time. That amounts to falsifying information. They say they will start at a certain time and often start 10 minutes late. Not good enough. Programs are pre-recorded, ads should be scheduled to fit within this time, if you have too many ads for a scheduled time, don’t accept the advertising.If advertising is more important to you than the viewers, don’t bother showing any tv shows and we’ll go watch shows elsewhere while you can play ads 24/7.
The first complaint would have to be why it took soo long to get electronic complaints up and running. An industry that thrives on refering people to their website for recipies, extra footage or watching missed episodes online…?This should of been up and running 10 years ago…
I hope they have plenty of staff. They’re gonna need them.
Though if it means we can complain about infomercials, I’m equally delighted.
“Non-program time on television.”
Does this mean we can complain about deliberately false advertised program start times?
If so, prepare for hell, Seven. One complaint per late-running Home And Away = one hell of a lot of paperwork.