Complaint to BBC regarding Pete the Badge

I've had the standard letter from the ECU about this. Has anyone else who had it responded yet?

I've also had this from them over my complaint about the BBC endorsing their club watches repeatedly:
I am writing to let you know the provisional outcome of the Executive Complaints Unit’s
investigation into your complaint about the above article on the BBC News website1. I
should explain that the Editorial Complaints Unit was replaced by the Executive
Complaints Unit on 3 April 2017 as part of the change in external regulation of the BBC
and the process for handling complaints. The new Unit has a wider remit2 but I have
considered your complaint in line with the remit of the Editorial Complaints Unit at the
time you made your complaint and as set out in my letter of 27 March.

I understood you to say the reference to the launch of a Manchester United/TAG Heuer
branded watch amounted to “an explicit piece of product promotion”. I therefore considered
your complaint in light of Section 14 of the Editorial Guidelines which says the BBC must
“avoid any undue prominence which gives the impression that we are promoting or endorsing
products, or organisations or services” and to achieve this references to trade names, brand
names and slogans should be “clearly editorially justified”.

I do have some sympathy with your concern about the mention of the launch of “a pair of
club special-edition watches” but I think there was an editorial justification for the reference,
albeit a slight one, in the context of an article about the club’s quarterly revenue figures
published in the Business section of the BBC News website. It was one, minor, aspect of
the business affairs of the football club, which followed more in-depth analysis of its
revenue streams and sponsorship deals. The reference to the special-edition watches at
the end of the article was, in my view, brief and could not be considered to amount to the
kind of undue prominence which might give the impression the BBC was promoting or
endorsing the product. I therefore do not believe there are grounds to uphold this aspect
of your complaint.

What I do know from speaking to a journalist contact is that it's now common for organisations to be invited to PR events for product launches like this only on the understanding (that may even have to be formal as part of a signed agreement) that they will plug the product. The BBC is clearly resorting to its default position of lying and obfuscation.
 
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I've had the standard letter from the ECU about this. Has anyone else who had it responded yet?

I've also had this from them over my complaint about the BBC endorsing their club watches repeatedly:


What I do know from speaking to a journalist contact is that it's now common for organisations to be invited to PR events for product launches like this only on the understanding (that may even have to be formal as part of a signed agreement) that they will plus the product. The BBC is clearly resorting to its default position of lying and obfuscation.

How the BBC deal with complaints.
>20 complaints
Sorry you are offended, but we've done nothing wrong.
>100 complaints
Sorry you are offended. We have fallen below the standards you expect, but we didn't do it on purpose/it was a genuine mistake. We'll learn from our mistakes/change policy/re-educate, blah, blah.......
<100 complaints
Move along. Nothing to see here.
 
Got this from the ECU as a follow-up to my reply to their original response



Match of the Day social media platform, 5 February 2017

Thank you for your email and attached letter of 6 April and your comments on the Executive Complaints Unit’s finding on your complaint. I am sorry you considered our response to be a "white-wash" but I do not believe there are grounds to amend our finding.


The Executive Complaints Unit investigated your complaint and provided an explanation for how the name "Bertie" originally came to be used and why subsequent action was taken to remove the caption. We explained the use of the word was inadvertent and the member of staff concerned was unaware of its potential to offend.

We also explained the reason why the Executive Complaints Unit cannot accept a complaint of unfairness unless it is made by or on behalf of the victim(s) of the unfair treatment. This is set out in the Interim BBC Complaints Framework and Procedures which also explains the remit of the Executive Complains Unit: https://ssl.bbc.co.uk/complaints/forms/assets/complaintsnew/resources/BBC-Interim- Complaints-Framework-April-2017.pdf


Our letter of 6 April should, therefore, be regarded as the BBC’s final decision. You can, however, now ask the broadcasting regulator, Ofcom, to consider your complaint if you wish. The details of how contact Ofcom and the procedures it will apply can be found at: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/tv-radio-and-on-demand/how-to-report-a-complaint.


Yours sincerely

Colin Tregear

Complaints Director

Choose not to explain why there had been 3 excuses including his own to the tagging of the image

I wish Pete would make a personal complaint as they are hiding behind the third party excuse
 
Continuing to hide behind the 'We didn't realise the significance of the term Bertie in relation to City' either confirms a desire to allow the event to evaporate or that the BBC believe that enquiries into football based complaints are best carried out by staff from Radio 3, or similar.
 
Continuing to hide behind the 'We didn't realise the significance of the term Bertie in relation to City' either confirms a desire to allow the event to evaporate or that the BBC believe that enquiries into football based complaints are best carried out by staff from Radio 3, or similar.
Some Rag from the BBC Salford Mafia knew "exactly" what they were doing with that comment, and the BBC continuing to deny it is even more insulting than the original comment.
 

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