Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (partially found Irish broadcast communication regulator statements; 2009-present)
Broadcasting Authority of Ireland logo.
Status: Partially Found
The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) is the official Irish communication services regulator. Established on 1st October 2009 to replace the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland and the Broadcasting Complaints Commission as part of the Broadcasting Act 2009, it regulates both public and commercial broadcasting throughout Ireland via its broadcasting codes and standards. BAI has responded to complaints made concerning possible violations to its broadcasting codes, and ordered various television and radio broadcasters to read out and display its Summary of Adjudication messages detailing the regulator's findings.
Background
The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland's origins trace back to the Radio and Television Act 1988, when the Independent Radio and Television Commission (IRTC) was created to regulate commercial broadcasting in Ireland.[1] As part of the Broadcasting Act 2001, the IRTC was renamed to the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI).[2] However, under the Broadcasting Act 2009, the BCI and the Broadcasting Complaints Commission were abolished and replaced with the BAI, which since 2009 has regulated public and commercial broadcasting across Ireland.[3]
To ensure accountability among broadcasters and to support and protect Irish audiences, the BAI has implemented and enforces 12 broadcasting codes and standards. Among them include the Code of Fairness, Objectivity & Impartiality, which enforces that all news and current affairs content maintains a neutral perspective that does not threaten it subject matters; and the Code of Programme Standards, which enforces what should be expected from broadcasting standards, as well as to allow consumers to complain should they feel that a broadcaster has violated these standards.[4]
In the event that a complaint to the BAI has been made, the regulator will determine whether said complaint is valid, and is then transferred to the Executive Complaints Forum or the Compliance Committee for analysis. Under most cases, resolved complaints will then be published on the BAI website. Should a complaint be upheld, the offending broadcaster is liable to sanctions under the BAI Compliance and Enforcement Policy, which can range from fines, to being directed by the BAI to broadcast a summary of adjudication that details the complaint, BAI's conclusion, and any decisions it has made.[5]
Availability
Offending television and radio broadcasters are required to broadcast BAI's summaries of adjudications should a complaint be fully or partially upheld, and whether the Compliance Committee has agreed that a broadcast is appropriate.[6] Recordings of adjudications are rare, because they are seldom repeated beyond their original broadcast dates, and often are deemed uninteresting by most viewers and listeners.
As of the present day, only three BAI statements have resurfaced. These include a complaint concerning alleged racist and offensive comments made on the David Harvey Show broadcast on Classic Hits 4 FM in January 2013.[7] Additionally, BAI found that nine programmes broadcast on Play TV throughout 2009 violated the General Advertising Codes, as they were deemed misleading, dishonest, unfair, omitted relevant information and lacked transparency.[8] Finally, an RTE report broadcast in July 2011 about an investigation into the Corrib tape controversy recorded during an arrest at a Shell-to-Sea protest was deemed by the BAI to be inaccurate, unfair and biased.[9]
Based on analysis of the BAI Broadcast Complaint Decisions, several other complaints were upheld, and thus were most likely broadcast on the offending channels.[10] Nevertheless, aside from the full reports detailing the complaints, no traces of these summaries have since resurfaced.
Gallery
Videos
See Also
- Broadcasting Standards Commission (partially found British broadcast communication regulator statements; 1981-2003)
- Independent Television Commission (partially found British broadcast communication regulator statements; 1991-2003)
- Ofcom (partially found British broadcast communication regulator statements; 2003-present)
External Links
References
- ↑ Irish Statute Book detailing the Independent Radio and Television Commission. Retrieved 14 Dec '21
- ↑ Irish Statute Book detailing the Broadcasting Act 2001 which established the BCI. Retrieved 14 Dec '21
- ↑ Tithe an Oireachtais Houses of the Oireachtas detailing the Broadcasting Act 2009 which led to the BAI being established. Retrieved 14 Dec '21
- ↑ Summaries of the Code of Fairness, Objectivity & Impartiality and the Code of Programme Standards. Retrieved 14 Dec '21
- ↑ BAI detailing how it regulates communication services, providing a link to a download of the Compliance and Enforcement Policy. Retrieved 14 Dec '21
- ↑ BAI Broadcasting Complaints Decisions page detailing how most upheld complaints are later broadcast. Retrieved 14 Dec '21
- ↑ Independent reporting on the racist and offensive comments made on the David Harvey Show. Retrieved 14 Dec '21
- ↑ Irish Times reporting on Play TV continually violating the General Advertising Code. Retrieved 14 Dec '21
- ↑ Irish Times reporting on a violating RTE report into the Corrib tape controversy. Retrieved 14 Dec '21
- ↑ Full BAI reports into two upheld complaints that may have had summaries broadcast on the offending channels. Retrieved 14 Dec '21