New ombudsman office for Ticino
The Independent Complaints Authority for Radio and Television (UBI) appointed Francesco Galli as the new head of the ombudsman's office for private Italian-language radio and television broadcasters and Paolo Caratti as his deputy.
The election is valid for the period from 2017 to 2019. At the end of the year, Gianpiero Raveglia, a lawyer in Roveredo and Locarno, announced his resignation as the person responsible for the ombudsman's office of private Italian-language radio and television broadcasters (e.g. Tele Ticino, Radio Fiume Ticino, Radio R3iii). At its last meeting, the UBI elected the previous deputy, Francesco Galli, as his successor. Galli is a lawyer in Lugano and already heads the ombudsman's office for Italian-language SRG programs. The UBI appointed Paolo Caratti, a lawyer and notary in Bellinzona, as his deputy for the ombudsman's office for private Italian-language broadcasters. Paolo Caratti was a member of the UBI for many years.
The ombudsman's offices of the private broadcasters shall examine complaints against radio and television broadcasts which have been broadcast and against denied access to the program. The ombudsman's office must inform the parties involved of the results of its investigations no later than 40 days after the complaint has been submitted. Once the ombudsman's report is available, an appeal can be lodged with the UBI. Around 90 percent of complaints have been settled at the ombudsman's office level in recent years, which underlines its important role. SRG ombudsmen are not elected by the UBI, but by SRG's own audience councils.
