36Complaints procedures

36 Complaints procedures

(1) An international broadcasting licensee should establish and maintain a written procedure to handle a complaint made to the licensee about the international broadcasting service operated by the licensee.

(2) The procedure should ensure that the licensee:

(a) makes every reasonable effort to respond to a complaint unless it is clearly frivolous, vexatious or not made in good faith; and

(b) makes every reasonable effort to correct, at the earliest practicable opportunity, a significant error of fact in matter broadcast by the licensee, whether or not the error is the subject of a complaint; and

(c) gives a suitable remedy in relation to a justified complaint.

Note: Examples of remedies include:

1 Broadcasting a reply.

2 Broadcasting an apology.

3 Removing offensive material from matter.

(3) The procedure should also provide for complaints that are made by telephone by ensuring that the licensee:

(a) makes every reasonable effort to satisfy the complaint during a telephone call; but

(b) is able to ask the complainant to make the complaint in writing if it is not practicable to satisfy the complaint during the telephone call.

(4) The procedure should also provide for complaints that are made by ensuring that the licensee acknowledges a complaint, and answers it in writing, within 30 days after receiving the complaint.

(5) The procedure should use the language of the major component of the international audience.

(6) The procedure may deal with matters other than those set out in subsections (2), (3), (4) and (5).