The Complaint Process
1. When a member of the public has a complaint against a station that has breached one or more of the above standards, that person must:
i. Write to the station via post, email or fax, stating what grievances they have against the broadcast;
ii. State when the broadcast took place;
iii. State who the presenter was;
iv. Submit their names and contact details for further communication by the station
2. Upon communicating with the station, it is expected that the station will respond to the complainant within fourteen (14) days
3. Where the person has not received a response or has received a response within fourteen days, but considers the response to be inadequate; that person may forward the complaint to the IBA.
4. When a complaint reaches the IBA through email, post or fax, the IBA will institute an investigation.
5. The IBA shall not investigate the complaint if it is satisfied that:-
i. the complaint is frivolous or vexatious or was not made in good faith;
ii. the complaint is not relevant to a Code of Practice developed by the broadcasting station or
iii. the complaint is brought more than three (3)months after the broadcast in question was made.
6. If, having investigated a complaint, the IBA is satisfied that the complaint is justified, the IBA should take action to obligate the broadcasting station to comply with the relevant Code of Practice.
7. The other action that the IBA may take may include broadcasting or otherwise publishing an apology or retraction.
8. The IBA shall notify the complainant of the results of such an investigation.
9. If the IBA has made a recommendation to a broadcasting station to remedy the complaint, and the station does not do so in fourteen days, the IBA , may by notice in writing, require the station to make good the default within a specified time.
10. If the broadcasting station fails to comply with the notice
referred to in (9), the IBA shall apply to the High Court for an order compelling the licensee to remedy the default.
For more information, please refer to the Standard Operating Procedures for Broadcasting document .