Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

Broadcasting Act 1989

Complaints

5: Principles

You could also call this:

"Rules for Dealing with Complaints About Broadcasts"

Illustration for Broadcasting Act 1989

When you make a complaint about a broadcast, it is based on some key principles. You should know that broadcasters must deal with complaints and have a proper procedure in place. They must also consider your complaint properly and respond to it. You can complain to the broadcaster or to another body that checks if broadcasters are meeting programme standards. If you are unhappy with a broadcast, you should complain to the broadcaster promptly and in writing if it is a formal complaint.

This text is automatically generated. It might be out of date or be missing some parts. Find out more about how we do this.

This page was last updated on

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM157416.

Topics:
Arts and culture > Heritage protectionConsumer protection > Consumer protectionConsumer protection > Consumer protectionConsumer protection > Anti-discrimination
Previous

4: Responsibility of broadcasters for programme standards, or

"Broadcasters must follow rules to keep programmes respectful and decent."

Next

6: Formal complaints about programmes, or

"How to make a formal complaint about a TV or radio programme"

Part 2Complaints

5Principles

  1. This Part is based on the following principles:

  2. broadcasters have a responsibility to deal with complaints relating to broadcasts and must establish a proper procedure to deal with them:
    1. a body other than the broadcaster must be available to complainants to ensure that broadcasters discharge their responsibilities in relation to programme standards:
      1. complaints based merely on a complainant's preferences are not, in general, capable of being resolved by a complaints procedure:
        1. an independent complaints procedure is not a substitute for proper consideration of complaints by the broadcaster:
          1. complaints should be made promptly to the broadcaster:
            1. formal complaints must be made in writing:
              1. most complaints that are capable of being resolved by an independent complaints procedure should not be required to be resolved by that procedure but should be capable of being resolved by proper consideration and proper response on the part of the broadcaster:
                1. the first consideration of a complaint should be prompt and without undue formality:
                  1. further consideration of a complaint calls for greater formality.