The four BSA members meet to consider complaints once every five weeks. As soon as the BSA has all the relevant information to consider your complaint your complaint will be placed on the agenda for the very next meeting. The BSA members examine all the correspondence, discuss the complaint, and decide whether or not to uphold it. In most cases it will only take one meeting to determine your complaint. However, if the members require more information or if the complaint is to be upheld and orders considered it may take more than one meeting. You will kept up to date with the status of your complaint.
The BSA usually determines complaints based on the correspondence from the complainant and the broadcaster. It can hold a formal hearing if necessary, but this is unlikely.
Your name and city/town of residence will be included in the BSA's written decision. The BSA does consider requests for name suppression when dealing with privacy complaints. For all other types of complaint, the BSA is unlikely to agree to name suppression however if you believe there are special reasons that you should receive name suppression then please advise the BSA. You can do this at any time before the complaint is released.
What if the BSA upholds a complaint?
If the members decide that the broadcast breached one of the standards in the Codes then it will 'uphold' your complaint. If it decides there is no need to make an order then it will release the decision. However, if it decides to consider making an order it will write to the complainant and the broadcaster asking for their opinions on what should happen. It then decides to make, or not make, an order and releases the decision.
For an outline of what the BSA can do if it upholds a complaint, go here.
What happens when the BSA releases a decision?
- The written decision is sent to the complainant and the broadcaster within 20 working days
- The decision is sent to media and subscribers approximately 3 working days after the complainant and the broadcaster have received it. The decision is uploaded onto this website on the same day. Note that the BSA nevers release the contact details of complainants to the media.
