who?

how?

where?

then what?

ACMA

formerly the Australian Broadcasting Tribunal (ABT) and the Australian Broad-

casting Authority (ABT)

The Australian Com-

munications and

Media Authority

(ACMA) is

responsible for the

regulation of TV, radio and internet

for radio and TV content, you must complain to the broadcaster first

Email:

Assistant Manager
Investigations Section
Australian Communications & Media Authority
PO Box Q500
Queen Victoria Building
Sydney NSW 1230

Fax: (02) 9334 7799
 broadcasting@acma.gov.au

You can use the form at the acma.gov.au website to fill out and give to the broadcaster or to use for a follow-up complaint to the ACMA.  (see pages 22-25) Send along a copy of the reply from the station (if you received one)

OFLC

Office of Film and Literature Classification

(films, videos, magazines, publications,

computer games)

OFLC

requires your full postal

address on letters and

emails

email

OFLC, Locked Bag 3,

Surry Hills,

Haymarket

NSW 1240,

ph 02 9289 7100

fx 02 9289 7101

oflcswitch@oflc.gov.au

The OFLC received twice the number of complaints in 2005 over the year before.  Praise God!  Lets fill them up with so many complaints they will have to employ extra staff to open their mail!

Commercial TV

each channel has its own procedure

If you are not happy with their reply you should then write to the ACMA

Channel 7

If you wish to lodge a formal complaint in relation to something you have seen or heard on the Seven Network you must send a letter or fax to Seven within 30 days of the relevant broadcast

(Channel 7)

(Channel 7)

Your complaint should include the following info:
   Date, time & location of broadcast;
   Name of program;
   Reason for your concern;
   Your name & address.

Include your name & postal address in all correspondence in order to receive a reply.

Telephone comments and email comments will be passed on to appropriate network staff, but are not dealt with under the Seven Networks formal complaints handling procedures.

Click for online printable complaint form

Formal complaints by mail or fax to:

The Programming Department
Channel Seven
In Your Capital City

Channel 7 Sydney
PO Box 777
PYRMONT NSW 2009
Fax: (02) 8777 7778           
                    

Channel 7 Adelaide
45-49 Park Terrace
GILBERTON SA 5081
Fax: (08) 8342 7717
 
Channel 7 Brisbane
GPO Box 604
MOUNT COOT-THA QLD 4001
Fax: (07) 3368 2970
 
Channel 7 Melbourne
GPO Box 4477
MELBOURNE VICTORIA 3001
Fax: (03) 9697 7676

Channel Seven Perth
PO Box 77
TUART HILL WA 6060
Fax: (08) 9344 0670

Channel 7 QLD
PO Box 296
MAROOCHYDORE QLD 4558
Fax: (07) 5430 1762

If your complaint relates to a matter covered by the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice, the network is required to investigate your complaint and provide you with a substantive written response within 30 working days.

A copy of the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice can be obtained from Free TV Australia .

or by phoning them:

1 300 134 848

Channel 9

You should include your name, address and a daytime phone number. Complaints cannot be addressed by Channel Nine unless they are submitted in this way.

(Channel 9)

To make a specific complaint regarding general programming matters (such as program content, classification issues, time occupied by non-program matter, program promotions etc) please direct your complaint in writing to:

Complaints relating to the placement of a television commercial broadcast on Channel Nine should be directed in writing to:

The Programming Department
Channel Nine
In Your Local City

NSW Viewers: PO Box 27 Willoughby, NSW 2068
Vic Viewers: PO Box 100 Richmond, Vic 3121
QLD Viewers: PO Box 72 Brisbane, QLD 4001

Alternatively contact your local Channel Nine or Win Network Station from your local white pages.

placement of an ad:

 The Traffic Department
Channel Nine
In your local city

write or fax on this matter using the above PO addresses

same as for  Channel 7

Channel 10

(Channel 10)

told AFF Dir Jack Sonnemann that phone complaints get logged and passed onto the General Manager every day! 

To receive a written reply you must write to them:

ph 02 9650 1010

Channel 10

GPO Box 10,

Sydney 2001. 

as for Channel 7

Public Broadcasters

The ABC and SBS develop codes of practice under their own legislation but must notify the ACMA of these codes.

If you are not happy with their reply you can then write to the ACMA

ABC

(ABC)

(ABC)

(ABC)

by writing

by emailing

or you may also like to complain by telephone..

If your complaint is of a serious nature, they recommend that you put it in writing.

ABC Audience & Consumer Affairs, GPO Box 9994 in your capital city

online email contact form

Please choose ABC Audience & Consumer Affairs as the ABC recipient.

If you would simply like your complaint noted, a switchboard operator will register your comments

02 8333 1500

If a matter of personal taste or preference, Audience & Consumer Affairs will ask the manager responsible for the program to respond.

If your complaint raises a serious editorial issue - such as factual inaccuracy, lack of balance, or inappropriate content - your complaint will be investigated by Audience & Consumer Affairs.

Audience & Consumer Affairs will notify the manager with editorial responsibility for the program and ask for their comments. Audience & Consumer Affairs will consider these comments and where necessary, review tapes, transcripts and related material. We will also take into account the ABC's Charter, the ABC's Code of Practice and ABC Editorial Policies.

You will receive a written response to your letter or email, explaining the ABC's conclusion. The ABC aims to respond to all complaints within 4 weeks of receipt. If the response is to be delayed, an acknowledgement and explanation will be sent

If your complaint is upheld, the ABC will openly admit its error. If it is not upheld, our reply will clearly set out the reasons.

SBS

After extensive public consultation and review, SBS has introduced revised complaints handling procedures, designed to make it easier for you to have your concerns about SBS programs and content addressed.

Informal complaints include your concerns that a program has been discontinued or if you have comments about a program presenter.

Formal complaints cover concerns that SBS has breached its own Codes of Practice.

(SBS)

(SBS)

To make a formal complaint about SBS programs or content you must identify yourself (name and address), identify the program concerned, the date of broadcast, explain what aspect of the program you are complaining about, and if possible, identify the Code of Practice which you believe applies to the program or content. If you are complaining about online or new media content, you will need to identify where you viewed it.

Or send a fax

or use the official online complaint form: 

SBS will not accept email complaints

write to Audience Affairs Manager
Special Broadcasting Service
Locked Bag 028
Crows Nest, NSW, 1585

 

fx (02) 9430 3047

click here for official form

The Audience Affairs Manager investigates all formal complaints. The Audience Affairs Manager reports directly to the Managing Director and is independent of all SBS programming departments.

The Audience Affairs Manager is responsible for ensuring a proper and fair investigation and determining whether the complaint is upheld or not. The Audience Affairs Manager replies to complaints and manages enquiries and issues about the complaint handling procedures.

In some cases, for example, where a complaint raises complex issues about a Code, the complaint will be referred internally to SBS Complaints Committee for further consideration. The Complaints Committee is made up of:

-  the Head of Television;

-  the Head of Radio;

-  the Chief Technology Officer;

-  the Audience Affairs Manager; and

-  one member independent of the Division being investigated, nominated and agreed to by the other members on a complaint-by-complaint basis.

Your complaint will be assessed as formal or informal. Once a complaint has been assessed as formal, the Audience Affairs Manager will send you a letter:

1. acknowledging receipt of the complaint; 2. informing you that the Audience Affairs Manager will investigate the matter; 3.providing an estimated timeframe for the complaint to be responded to; and 4.advising you about your rights to external review if you are not satisfied with SBS response.

Subscription TV

ACMA code of practice for subs TV available online

If you are not happy with their reply you can then write to the ACMA

Austar

AUSTAR's goal is to provide a high level of customer service in all areas, including our handling of complaints.

(Austar)

our preferred method of receiving complaints is by phone

but you can email:

or fax:

or write a letter:

132 432, between 6am and 11pm, 7 days a week for the cost of a local call

complaints@austar.com.au

free fax: 1300 362 388

AUSTAR Communications, Locked Bag  2000, GCMC, QLD, 9726

AUSTAR will endeavour to resolve complaints made by telephone during the first call. If your call needs to be escalated, our objective is for this to occur immediately. Should this not be possible, we aim to return your call within 24 hours.

If you have written, emailed or faxed your complaint, we will respond within 5 working days.

For more complex enquiries, lodged by any method, and where further investigation is required, a reasonable time frame for resolving the complaint will be agreed with you.

In all cases AUSTAR will ensure you remain informed of who is dealing with your complaint and provide an estimation of how long it will take to respond.

Foxtel

telephoning

or writing

ring 131 999 and provide account info to automated system and then select  Customer Service Operator option.

Foxtel

PO Box 612, Moonee Ponds, Victoria, 3039.

The Foxtel Operator will leave a memo on your account that is forwarded automatically to the programming department.  We are advisted that "they take all complaints into consideration and if there are enough they strategise and are pretty good about getting on top of it".

TV advertisements

The Advertising Standards Board provides a free public complaint service about advertising in the mainstream media, which people find offensive on the basis of: discrimination (race, nationality, sex, age, sexual preference, religion, disability, political belief), violence, language, portrayal of sex, sexuality or nudity; health and safety, alarm or distress to children.

Complaints relating to the content of a television commercial should be directed in writing to:

To lodge your complaint, simply write to the Advertising Standards Board taking care to include these 5 points:

Phone: (Enquiry only - telephone complaints not accepted)

Email:

Advertising Standards Bureau
Level 2/97 Northbourne Avenue
TURNER ACT 2612
Fax: (02) 6262 9833
1.NAME OF ADVERTISER AND/OR PRODUCT 2.DESCRIPTION OF THE ADVERTISEMENT 3.WHEN AND WHERE YOU SAW OR HEARD IT  4.REASON FOR YOUR CONCERN 5.YOUR NAME AND POSTAL ADDRESS

ph (02) 6262 9822
 
 

Please use online form on website

If your complaint is about the time an advertisement is telecast, please contact Free TV Australia Free TV Australia views all television commercials before they go to air and gives each one a classification. This classification governs the times at which advertisements can be shown.

If your complaint is about an alcohol advertisement, a copy of it will be sent to the Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code Management Committee. Alcohol advertisements are required to comply with both the Advertiser Code of Ethics. Both available here

advertisers

a polite boycott letter to an advertiser is the most effective form of lobbying

obtain address from directory assistance, internet or product packaging

inform AFF: nationwide involvement vital unless its a local product or business; boycott, keep writing, tell others

internet

(internet)

ACMA

Please note that complaints about prohibited Internet content to ACMA must be made in writing.

To help ensure that ACMA can investigate your complaint, you must set out:

1.the Internet address of the Internet content and any other details required to access it;

2.a description of the Internet content; and

3.the reason that you think the Internet content is, or may be, prohibited content

internet content complaint form

Alternatively you may email your complaint to online@acma.gov.au or post/fax your complaint to:

The Content Assessment Hotline Manager
Australian Communications and Media Authority
GPO Box Q500 Queen Victoria Building NSW 1230
FAX: (02) 9334 7799

you may want to look at the Classification Board Guidelines for the Classification of Films and Computer Games

use Bsafe Online.  You can download a free trial from our website www.ausfamily.org

IMPORTANT: keep writing to Mr Howard and to your federal MPs to install filters at an ISP (Internet Service Provider) level Australia wide to protect all our children.

Tasmanians: be sure to "opt in" (ask your internet provider to include you in) the upcoming filter trial mid 2006

newsagencies

They probably will need this explained to them:

They do have to accept delivery of assorted magazines but they can keep objectionable ones in the back room and send them back to the distributor (which is exactly what they do with all unsold newspapers) and the distributor refunds the money

if a distributor sees that a particular newsagent always sends back all of the copies of Penthouse etc the distributor will see that it is in his best interests to no longer send those magazines to that retailer

Once a newsagency or retailer removes pornography encourage others in your community, church, business groups to frequent their shop.  Get the Mayor or MP to publicly present an award to the shop as a Family Friendly shop.

Its so important to reward their  behaviour. 

politicians

keep letters brief (your letter is probably only a statistic) and as supportive as possible. You want future letters to be read if they expect abuse, they wont read them.

c/- Parliament House, Your capital city, your state _000

email contacts on our website

click lobbying

Password in current AFF journal.

Keep writing on issues of importance.  Tell others.

If you are able, be prepared to help them or their opponent in the next election. 

other