Ofcom is the independent regulator and competition authority for the communication industries in the United Kingdom. You can contact Ofcom if you want to make a complaint about any programme broadcast on television or radio.

Ofcom has a statutory duty to further the interests of citizens and consumers by promoting competition and protecting consumers from harmful or offensive material.

There are two main categories of complaint: fairness and privacy, and serious broadcast complaints (material that is deemed ‘harmful, offensive, misleading, or raised an issue of impartiality, accuracy or contained inappropriate commercial activities’). You can also ‘submit views’ or express ‘general concern.’

If you call the Ofcom contact center, operators will ask you what you are complaining about and then put you through to the relevant person. You can also write to them by post or fax and there is an online form for each category.

Complaints must, however, be made within a certain time. If you wish to complain about a radio broadcast, you must do so within 42 days of the broadcast. For terrestrial television the deadline is 90 days, for satellite and cable TV it is 60 days. Ofcom may consider complaints that arrive later than the deadlines, but only in exceptional circumstances.

Ofcom uses two different processes for deciding if there has been a code breach for the two different types of complaint. At each stage of the process Ofcom promises to keep the complainant informed of what decisions have been taken and why.

Ofcom can fine a broadcaster, revoke or shorten a licence, call for an apology or pull programmes and adverts off the air.

Ofcome do not accept complaints about programmes before they are broadcasted. If the programme has been broadcast then you can make a complaint.

From the ofcom website

"If something in a specific radio or television programme that has been broadcast concerns you and you would like to make a complaint please use the link below"

Complain to Ofcom here.

Or you can call: 020 7981 3040 or 0300 123 3333

Ofcom can consider complaints about programmes transmitted by all broadcasters licensed in the UK as well as the BBC and S4C.

However, they cannot consider complaints about accuracy in BBC TV and radio news or complaints about impartiality in BBC TV and radio programmes. These complaints have to be dealt with by the BBC. Complain to the BBC here.

For more information see: The Ofcom Broadcasting Code

Sources: www.Ofcom.org.uk www.mediawise.org

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