BBC Complaints feedback loop

So, it is early days, but we are seeing the first fruits of the feedback loop between the new BBC Complaints site and the Points of View message board.

This week the BBC changed the announced broadcast of Match of the Day from Wednesday to Tuesday in order to accommodate the highlights of the Arsenal - Manchester United match. This sparked a chorus of complaints - some of which went through the new online complaints channel, and the BBC published an official response at http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/news/2005/02/03/16848.shtml:

At very short notice we were able to obtain the rights to show highlights of the Arsenal v Manchester United game on Tuesday night. We believed viewers would appreciate it if we screened them that night rather than the following day. We brought forward Match of the Day from Wednesday to Tuesday and coverage of Wednesday's games was held over until Football Focus (Saturday February 6th). This agreement came too late to inform listings magazines before they went to print.

This meant that when the same issue was raised on the Points of View message board...

I stayed in to watch the highlights of ManU vs Arsenal at 10.35pm last night and the scheduling had been changed and it was shown at 11.30pm on Tuesday instead. I didn't see this change advertised and am very disappointed that I have now missed my chance to see the full highlights.

...the hosts were at least able to direct the users to an official line from the BBC.

It may seem trivial, but before the BBC Complaints site launched the hosts could only either ignore complaints which didn't have an associated press release, or try to paraphrase an internal memo without making a definitive statement by the BBC. I hope having a URL to point to is going to make a significant difference.

Posted by Martin Belam, February 4, 2005
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