Sally Jackson | April 03, 2008
THE ABC's complaints handling process was "seriously flawed" and created a buffer between program-makers and their critics, according to a critique in the latest issue of The Sydney Institute Quarterly.
Instead of responding directly, presenters and producers were diverting complaints into the public broadcaster's bureaucracy, resulting in lengthy delays in matters being resolved, the article said.
Of the 15,309 written complaints about the ABC finalised last financial year, 554, or 3.6 per cent, were upheld by its complaints arm Audience and Consumer Affairs, according to its 2006/07 annual report.
"In short, it is very, very difficult to get the ABC Audience and Consumer Affairs department to accept the legitimacy of a complaint," said the Quarterly, published by think-tank the Sydney Institute, of which Gerard Henderson is executive director.
"Even in the minute number of occasions where a correction is deemed necessary, by the time such a decision is made the impact of such a correction is almost completely diminished."
The article cited examples of complaints about the ABC's Media Watch program made by Henderson and also by The Australian's political editor Dennis Shanahan.
It took 11 weeks for Audience and Consumer Affairs to complete a report on Shanahan's complaint last October, the Quarterly said.
"In between the commencement and conclusion of (its) investigation, Media Watch wound up for the year and its presenter and executive producer resigned," it said. "A complaint system which takes so long is completely ineffectual."
An ABC spokeswoman said the broadcaster responded to complaints "as quickly as possible".
"Some investigations are complex and take more time. The time it takes for the ABC to investigate complaints compares favourably to other regulatory bodies, including (the Australian Communications and Media Authority)," she said.
"We are aware that Gerard Henderson remains unhappy with the outcome of his complaint. There are several review mechanisms available to him and these have been drawn to his attention on several occasions. For whatever reason, he has declined to pursue his complaint through these avenues."
In its annual report the ABC said it responded to 28,758 audience contacts last financial year and 65 per cent received responses within 28 days.
The Quarterly, which is out this week, also accused Media Watch of picking all its presenters from the political Left, including current host Jonathan Holmes.
"All seven have (had) a predictable and fashionable set of leftist or left-liberal positions on a range of issues from foreign policy, to the environment and on to social policy," it said.
"(Holmes is) the latest in the long line of Media Watch presenters who is committed to what the British journalist Robin Aitken has described as public broadcasting 'groupthink'."