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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Start with the BBC, not Ofcom. Identify the exact documentary or article, explain the specific wording, footage, omission or treatment you believe breaches an editorial standard, and submit the complaint through the BBC’s current complaints contact page. The BBC describes an initial handling stage (1a), a further consideration stage (1b where available), and Stage 2, which is handled by its Executive Complaints Unit (ECU). Keep the case number and every response. If the issue remains unresolved, Ofcom normally expects you to complete the BBC process before referring an eligible complaint, but the correct Ofcom procedure depends on whether the material was a broadcast/on-demand programme, BBC online material, or a fairness/privacy complaint.
First decide what you are complaining about
A strong complaint concerns one identifiable item. Before opening the form, record the title, the publication or broadcast date, and where you saw it. For a documentary, note the BBC service, episode or programme details, transmission date and, if relevant, the on-demand listing. For an article, save the page address and note whether it appeared on a BBC website or app. If the page or programme changes later, your saved copy, transcript, screenshot or time-stamped notes can show what you actually saw.
Documentary, article or another type of BBC material?
The format affects both the BBC’s handling and any later Ofcom route. A documentary shown on a BBC UK television or radio service, or supplied as an on-demand programme, may fall within Ofcom’s broadcast/on-demand procedures. An article on a BBC website or app may instead be considered under Ofcom’s online-material procedure. Do not assume that an item’s subject matter determines its category: the service and method of distribution matter.
Material hosted on a social-media platform, BBC Bitesize, a third-party website, or the BBC World Service can be treated differently under Ofcom’s online-material rules. Check the current Ofcom procedure before sending a regulatory referral, particularly if the BBC item was embedded elsewhere or republished outside the BBC’s own services.
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Standards complaint or disagreement with editorial judgment?
State the editorial harm you are alleging rather than simply saying that you disliked the conclusion. A complaint can address a factual error, a misleading presentation, a lack of due impartiality, or unfair or intrusive treatment where the relevant standard applies. Explain the standard in your own words and identify the evidence that connects it to the item.
Disagreement with a programme’s opinion, choice of contributors or interpretation does not by itself prove a standards breach. A focused complaint shows why a particular statement is inaccurate, why material context was omitted, why the treatment was unfair, or why the presentation failed the applicable editorial requirement.
Build an item record before writing
| Record | What to capture | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | Title, episode or article headline, publication or transmission date, BBC service and page address or programme details | Prevents the complaint being attached to the wrong item |
| Location | For video or audio, the approximate time or segment; for an article, the heading, paragraph or sentence | Lets the reviewer find the disputed material quickly |
| Concern | Exact wording, footage, omission or treatment and the editorial standard you believe may apply | Separates a testable allegation from a general objection |
| Evidence | Documents, data, links, transcripts, screenshots or a clear explanation of what is missing | Shows the basis for your allegation and the remedy you seek |
| Timing | Date you submit, confirmation message and case number | Protects your position if you need to use a later BBC stage |
Submit the complaint to the BBC
Use the BBC’s current complaints contact page. The BBC lists an online route, a telephone route and a postal route. The page currently gives the telephone number 03700 100 222. It also lists a postal address; verify that address on the live page rather than relying on an old copy, because contact details can change.
Online submission
- Open the BBC complaints contact page and choose the form for the type of issue you are raising.
- Identify the programme or article precisely, including the date and service. Paste the page address for an article or provide the programme and episode details for a documentary.
- Quote the exact passage, describe the footage or give the approximate time of the moment at issue. Keep quotations short and accurate.
- Explain what is wrong, which editorial standard you believe may be engaged, and why the error or treatment matters. Distinguish a factual allegation from your disagreement with an editorial choice.
- Attach or link supporting material where the form permits it. Submit once, save the confirmation and retain the case number.
If a form does not accept a large attachment, describe the evidence clearly and say how it can be supplied. Do not assume that a social-media discussion, a petition or a large number of similar messages substitutes for a complete complaint about the item itself.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchTelephone or postal submission
You can use the telephone number listed by the BBC or write to the postal address shown on its current contact page. A phone call is useful when you need help locating the correct route, but have your item details and a concise account ready. Ask how the complaint will be recorded and how you will receive the case number or response. The BBC’s handling page gives a different timing note for telephone complaints, so follow the instructions supplied during the call rather than applying the online timetable automatically.
A postal complaint should contain the same core information as an online submission: the item’s identity, the precise concern, the standard you believe may apply, your evidence and your contact details. Keep a complete copy and proof of posting. If you later receive a response by post, retain the envelope as well as the letter so that dates are clear.
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Meet the BBC’s published time limits
The BBC’s handling page says an initial complaint should normally be made within 30 working days. It describes a normal written response period of two weeks. If you want the matter considered further, it says the further complaint should be sent within 20 working days and should include the case number. These are the BBC’s published timings; check the live instructions for the item and route you are using, including any exception or different note for telephone complaints.
Count working days according to the BBC’s instructions and submit as soon as you have enough information. If you are outside the stated period, explain the reason briefly and ask whether the complaint can still be considered. Do not present acceptance of a late complaint as guaranteed.
Write a complaint that can be assessed
The reviewer needs to know what happened, what standard you say is engaged and what evidence supports your account. A useful structure is:
- Identify the item. Give the title, date, service and URL or programme details.
- Locate the material. Quote the sentence, name the paragraph or give the time in the programme.
- State the allegation. Say whether you believe the material is factually inaccurate, materially misleading, insufficiently impartial, unfair to a person or intrusive into privacy.
- Explain the significance. Describe the specific impression a reasonable viewer or reader could receive and why the missing context or treatment matters.
- Supply evidence. Link or attach reliable material and identify exactly which part supports your point.
- Ask for a response. Request that the BBC address each numbered point and explain any correction, clarification or other action it considers appropriate.
Keep separate issues in separate numbered paragraphs. If an article contains one inaccurate statistic and a separate concern about a contributor’s treatment, label them independently. This makes it possible for the BBC to answer one allegation without losing the other.
Accuracy and context
For a factual complaint, identify the claim and provide the correct information or the reason it is misleading. Explain whether the problem is a wrong number, a date, a quotation, a description of evidence or a missing qualification. If the claim is disputed rather than demonstrably false, say what is contested and identify the relevant evidence. Avoid treating a source’s failure to support your preferred interpretation as proof that the BBC breached a standard.
Impartiality and selection
If your concern is impartiality, identify the significant viewpoint or relevant evidence you say was omitted or inadequately represented. Explain why the omission matters to the programme or article’s subject, rather than arguing that every possible perspective had to receive equal space. A complaint about the conclusion should show how the presentation created a materially unbalanced impression.
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Fairness and privacy
If you were personally treated unfairly or believe private information was used improperly, explain your connection to the item, what was said or shown, what you were told or asked to do, and the harm you say resulted. Fairness and privacy complaints can follow different rules at Ofcom, so identify this issue clearly in the BBC submission and check the relevant regulatory route before escalating.
Understand the BBC’s complaint stages
The BBC describes a staged process. The labels and the route offered in your response control what you can do next; not every complaint necessarily qualifies to progress through every stage.
| Stage | What it means | What you should do |
|---|---|---|
| Stage 1a | Initial handling of the complaint by the BBC | Submit a focused account and keep the case number and response |
| Stage 1b | Further consideration where the BBC’s process makes this stage available | Follow the response’s instructions and the stated deadline; explain which points remain unanswered |
| Stage 2 | Consideration by the Executive Complaints Unit (ECU) | Use the route offered by the BBC, include the case number and address the reasons you say the earlier response did not resolve |
Read the first response before escalating
Do not send a generic second message saying only that you remain dissatisfied. Compare the response with your numbered allegations. Mark each point as answered, partly answered or not answered, then explain the gap. If the BBC corrected a factual error but did not address a separate fairness issue, say so explicitly. If you have new evidence, identify it and explain why it could not reasonably have been supplied earlier.
The BBC’s response should tell you whether a further stage is available and how to request it. Use that route rather than inventing a separate address or sending the same complaint repeatedly to unrelated BBC departments.
Escalate to the Executive Complaints Unit at Stage 2
Stage 2 is handled by the BBC’s Executive Complaints Unit. Requesting ECU consideration is not an automatic right to a new investigation on every subject; the BBC’s response and complaint framework determine whether the matter can progress.
- Read the Stage 1a or Stage 1b response and note the instructions for further consideration.
- Submit within the deadline stated by the BBC. Its handling page says a further complaint should normally be made within 20 working days.
- Include the BBC case number prominently.
- List the unresolved points and quote the relevant part of the earlier response for each one.
- Explain why the response does not resolve the alleged editorial breach, using the evidence already supplied or clearly identified new material.
- Save the ECU submission, confirmation and final decision.
Keep the Stage 2 request about the original item. Adding unrelated complaints can make the scope unclear and may cause the BBC to treat them as separate matters with different deadlines.
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Decide whether Ofcom is the right next route
Ofcom describes the BBC-first principle this way: “This means that people must normally complain to the BBC first before they can escalate their complaint to us.” The normal sequence is therefore BBC complaint, available BBC review stages, then an Ofcom referral if the issue is within Ofcom’s remit and still meets its deadline and procedural requirements.
Ofcom has separate procedures for broadcast/on-demand complaints and BBC online editorial material. Use the procedure that matches where the content appeared, not merely the subject of the complaint.
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Broadcast or on-demand documentary
A documentary broadcast on a BBC UK television or radio service, or made available as an on-demand programme, may fall under Ofcom’s broadcast/on-demand procedure. Confirm the service and availability category in Ofcom’s current guidance. Supply the programme details, the BBC case history and the precise material at issue. Ofcom’s scope and deadline rules apply even when the BBC has already considered the complaint.
Article on a BBC website or app
An article published on a BBC website or app may use Ofcom’s online-material procedure. Ofcom’s published explanation identifies exclusions including social media, Bitesize, BBC material on third-party sites and World Service content. If your item falls into one of those categories, do not assume that the online-material procedure will accept it; check the current scope before filing.
Fairness or privacy complaint
Ofcom guidance describes an exception to the normal BBC-first rule for certain fairness and privacy complaints. The exception is route-specific, not a general way to bypass the BBC. Check the exact Ofcom procedure and eligibility requirements before acting. Ofcom also says the same complaint should not be made to both bodies simultaneously. If you use an exception, follow that route rather than opening parallel cases with the BBC and Ofcom.
Ofcom’s additional oversight of Stage 2 complaints
Ofcom’s published explanation says changes to the Agreement in December 2025 gave it a duty to review a representative sample of Stage 2 BBC ECU complaints that complainants have not already referred to Ofcom. This is regulatory oversight of a sample, not a replacement for making your own BBC complaint or a guarantee that an individual case will be selected. Complete the BBC stages and follow the instructions in your decision even if you believe the matter may be included in that oversight.
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Prepare an Ofcom referral without restarting the argument
If the relevant Ofcom procedure accepts your type of complaint, provide a concise procedural history. State when you complained to the BBC, give the BBC case number, identify the stages reached and attach or describe the responses. Then explain the specific standard or rule you believe remains at issue and point to the item’s exact wording, footage or omission.
Check Ofcom’s current form and deadline immediately before submitting. The regulator’s forms, scope rules and time limits can differ by content category. A referral that omits the BBC history, uses the wrong category or arrives outside the applicable period may not be considered even if the underlying concern is serious.
Keep records and protect your deadline
- Save the original article as a PDF or screenshot where lawful and retain the page address and access date.
- For a documentary, note the episode, service, transmission or on-demand date and the time of the disputed moment.
- Keep the exact text of every submission, attachments and confirmation email.
- Record the case number and the date each BBC response arrived.
- Use a calendar reminder for the BBC’s stated 20-working-day further-complaint period and any deadline in the response.
- When contacting Ofcom, retain the submitted form and confirmation separately from the BBC file.
Do not edit evidence in a way that removes surrounding context. If you highlight a sentence or clip, keep the unedited version as well. Explain any transcript uncertainty, translation issue or technical limitation instead of presenting a reconstruction as an exact quotation.
Common mistakes and how to correct them
Complaining about a general pattern instead of one item
A broad allegation about BBC coverage is difficult to assess. Name one documentary or article first. If you identify a wider pattern, use it only as context after setting out the specific breach in the item you want reviewed.
Sending a campaign message
Multiple people making the same point does not establish that editorial standards were breached. A coordinated message can also obscure the evidence. Write an individual account tied to the item, and include the facts that are specific to your concern.
Arguing only from personal disagreement
Replace “the BBC should have reached a different conclusion” with the exact claim, omission or treatment you say was improper. Explain the standard and evidence. Editorial disagreement alone is not the same as an upheld complaint.
Missing the follow-up deadline
Do not wait for a further article, programme or social-media debate before requesting the next BBC stage. The handling page says the further complaint should normally be sent within 20 working days and include the case number. If circumstances caused delay, explain them and ask whether the BBC will accept the request, but do not assume an extension.
Using the wrong Ofcom procedure
Check whether the item was broadcast/on-demand or online, and whether it is within an identified online exclusion. Fairness and privacy can have a different route. If uncertain, read Ofcom’s current procedure descriptions before submitting rather than sending duplicate complaints to both organisations.
A practical decision path
- Can you identify one BBC item? If not, narrow the complaint to a title, date and passage or moment.
- Can you state a specific editorial concern? If not, separate factual disagreement from an allegation about accuracy, impartiality, fairness or privacy.
- Are you within the BBC’s stated initial period? The published handling page says 30 working days; submit promptly or explain any delay.
- Have you received a BBC response? If yes, use the stage and deadline given there; if no, keep the confirmation and wait for the stated handling period unless the BBC tells you otherwise.
- Has the BBC process reached its available final stage? If not, request Stage 1b where offered or Stage 2 through the route in the response.
- Is Ofcom’s route eligible? Match the content format and service, check exclusions and deadlines, and consider whether a fairness/privacy exception applies.
- Are you sending one clear record? Include the case number, BBC responses, exact disputed material and evidence, and do not submit the same complaint simultaneously to both bodies.
What a clear complaint can achieve
The purpose of the process is to give the BBC a precise, reviewable account of the alleged editorial problem and to create a record for any eligible escalation. Ask for the BBC to address the evidence and explain its decision; do not promise yourself a correction, removal, apology or regulatory finding. The BBC or Ofcom may reject a complaint, decide that the material did not breach the applicable standard, or limit consideration to the parts within its remit. A disciplined submission gives your concern the best chance of being understood and assessed on the actual item rather than on the strength of your reaction.
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