FCC Makes It Easier for Consumers to Complain

The FCC has launched a new online consumer help center to make it easier for the public to file complaints against FCC licensees, like broadcasters and cable operators, according to Broadcasting&Cable.

It is billed as part of a broader effort to reform FCC process, but it is also in the wheelhouse of chairman Tom Wheeler's pledge of a consumer-focused agency.

The common broadcast complaints in the TV portion of the site include "sports blackouts" and "loud commercials" as well as indecency, closed captioning and complaints about broadcast journalism.

On the cable side, common issues include Record retention, Signal leakage, Rate regulation and Signal quality.

For radio, common issues include  Call-In or Shock Jock Programs, Cancellation, Rescheduling or Refusal of Programs and Digital Radio

But there is self-interest in the help center as well. The FCC also points out that the new center will help it analyze complaints and complaint "trends" to "identify broader problems and shape policy that will promote better service."

The commission also says the site will help it deliver complaints to service providers so they can respond more quickly.