Code of Practice – West limerick 102fm

West Limerick 102 FM LTD CODE OF PRACTICE ON DEALING WITH COMPLAINTS UNDER SECTION 47 OF THE 2009 BROADCASTING ACT AS AMENDED BY THE ONLINE SAFETY AND MEDIA REGULATION ACT 2022

WLCR FM ltd aims to deliver the best possible to our listeners and community – this includes being compliant with relevant legislation that governs our activities.

Section 47 of the broadcasting Act 2009 as amended by the Online Safety and Media Regulation act 2022 requires that all broadcasters within the jurisdiction of the state prepare and follow a Code of Practice for dealing with certain types of complaints from the public. Your attention is drawn to the first that general feedback and not all types of complaints are covered by this document.

This document is the Code of Practice on Dealing with Complaints under section 47 of the 2009 Broadcasting Act as amended by the Online Safety and Media Regulation act 2022 WLCR FM ltd

This Code of Practice covers:

What you can complain about under section 47 of the 2009 Broadcasting Act as amended by the Online Safety and Media Regulation act 2022 …………1
How you make a complaint either informally or formally ………………………………………….2
How soon after a broadcast you can make a complaint …………………………………………….3
Who and where to send your complaint…………………………………………………………………….3
What happens to your complaint ……………………………………………………………………………..3
What the possible outcomes of your complaint are……………………………………………………4
The role of Coimisiún na Meán ………………………………………………………4
Recording of all complaints ……………………………………………………………………………………….4

Appendix 1: Formal Complaint Form …………………………………………………………………………5

This Code of Practice:

Was written and agreed using the guidelines from the Coimisiún na Meán and after consultation with WLCR FM Ltd staff and management
Will be reviewed at a minimum of one Board meeting per year with the Board making the necessary changes based on issues or relevant legislation. Both the annual reviews and any amendments will be recorded and the Code of Practice update if necessary. The Board welcomes and will consider all feedback on this Code of Practice. Any changes to this Code of Practice will be communicated to Coimisiún na Meán for approval
Is available on our website page upon request by a member of the public
Is available from the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland website
What you can complain about under Section 47 of the 2009 Broadcasting Act as amended by the Online Safety and Media Regulation act 2022
You can send in a complaint if you think that a broadcast or part of broadcast on out radio does not comply with our obligations set in the table below
Complaints about alleged defamation are dealt with under the CNAM Right to Reply Scheme (see www.cnam.ie)
Any other complaints, concerns or other feedback can be made on the standard complaint from that is in Appendix 1 (in line with our standard complaints process).

Type of complaints	Our obligations
1. Impartiality and objectivity in news	We will ensure that our new programming is objective and impartial without any expression of our own views
2. Impartiality, objectivity and fairness in current affairs programming	We will ensure that our current affair programming -is objective and impartial without any expression of our own views -treats the subject matter and all interests fairly If we cannot achieve impartiality, objectivity and fairness in one current affairs programme, we will do so in Ireland broadcasts that will be broadcast within a reasonable period of each other
3. Harm or offence	We will ensure that our programming does not contain any content which may reasonably be regarded as:
4. Incitement to crime, or tending to undermine the State	-causing harm or offence -tending to promote or incite crime -tending to undermine the authority of the State -Unreasonably encroaching upon the privacy of an individual
5. Privacy of the individually	We will ensure that programming is in compliance with the Coimisiún na Meán code of programme Standards. This Code concerns programme material regarding harm or offence and is available at
6. Advertising/commercial communications	All commercial communications broadcast by us will be in compliance with the: -Coimisiún na Meán General commercial communications Code. This code concerns commercial communications which include advertising, sponsorship and teleshopping and is available at www.cnam.ie/publications_codestandards.html – Coimisiún na Meán children’s Commercial Communications Code. This code concerns commercial communications which include advertising, sponsorship and teleshopping that are for products or services of particular interest to children and/or those broadcasting during children’s programming and is available at http://www.cnam.ie/publications_codestandars.html

2. How you make a complaint either informally or formally

Informally:

you may prefer to contact the station informally in person or by phone and have your concerns heard and addressed in an informal manner is To your satisfaction

Formally:

Contact the4 Complaints Committee by phone, email or letter and tell us your complaint
A member of the Complaints Committee will contact you to talk about what concerned you and attempt to resolve the mater to your satisfaction
If we cannot resolve your complaint to your satisfaction, and you are sure that your complaint is covered by this Code of Practice, please put the following information in writing (letter, fax )
Your name and address
The type of complaints ( see table above)
The date and time of broadcast
The name of the programme, news item or advertisement/ commercial communication that you have heard and which is the subject of your complaint
Exact details of what in the broadcast concerned you

e. if you wish, you can use the complaint from in the Appendix 1 of this code of practice

f. if, by reason of disability or other good reason, you are unable to make a complaint in writing please contact us and we help you

g. We will not accept complaints which we deem to be of a frivolous or vexatious nature

WLCR FM is committed to protecting the right and privacy of individuals in accordance with the Data Protection Acts 1988-2003

3. how soon after a broadcast you can make a complaint

The broadcasting Act 2009 as amended by the Online Safety and Media Regulation act 2022 requires that you make your complaint not more than 30 days after the date of the broadcast you have concerns about
If your complaint relates to one broadcast: 30 days after the date of that broadcast
If your complaint relates to two or more unrelated broadcast: 30 days after the date of the earlier or earliest of those broadcast
If your complaint relates to two or more related broadcast of which at least two are made on different dates: 30 days after the date of the latter or latest of those broadcast

4. Who and where to send your complaint

Complaints Committee,

c/o Chairperson, west Limerick Community Radio

WLCR FM ltd,

Unit 5, Shannon Development Enterprise Centre, Sheehan’s Newcastle West, Co. Limerick

Phone: 069 66200

Email: reception102@gmail.com

5. what happens to your complaint?

Informal complaint:

if you contact us informally, we will aim to resolve the issue(s) as soon as possible if all parties agree to how this may be done

Formal Complaint:

Once we receive your complaint we will work to resolve the issue as soon as possible with the relevant people in the station
We will write to acknowledge receipt of your formal complaint 7 working days
We will consider the issue raised in your complaint
We will listen to the programme/broadcast item identified in your complaint
Where appropriate, presenter or programme-maker to give that party an opportunity to previse observations or comments about the issue you have raised
We will provide a written response to your complaint that will as far as possible address all of the concerns/issues you have raised. We will set out the reasons for our decision on your complaint
This response will be sent to you within 30 days from receipt of your complaint

6. what the possible outcomes of your complaint are

We may uphold the complaint and will therefore aim to resolve it to your satisfaction in am agreed manner-this may include an apology, correction, clarification and/or offer of a rebuttal
We may reject the complaint. This means we believe that our programming was in compliance with our obligations

7. the role of Coimisiún na Meán

If we have not responded to your complaint within 30 days or if you are not satisfies with our response, you can refer your complaint to Coimisiún na Meán
Coimisiún na Meáns Compliance Committee will consider your complaint and may carry out an in depended review of the complaint and our response
Information on how to refer a complaint to the Coimisiún na Meán is available on the their website at www.cnam.ie or from the following address:

Complaints Officer, Coimisiún na Meán, 1 Shelbourne Buildings, Shelbourne Road, Dublin 4, D04 NP20 ,Ireland.

Further queries concerning complaint referrals may also be directed to the user support centre’s telephone contact: (01) 963 7755.

Further information concerning Coimisiún na Meán’s role in broadcast regulation can be found on our website: https://www.cnam.ie/broadcasting/.

email: usersupport@cnam.ie.

Complaints: complaints@cnam.ie