Complain about captioning on TV

There are rules for captions on commercial TV, the ABC and SBS and subscription TV. They must be easy to read, accurate and easy to understand. You can complain if broadcasters don't follow the rules.

Your TV reception and internet connection can cause problems with captions and lines of text on your TV.

Before you complain, check your connections. Follow our steps to diagnose and fix your TV reception to see if this helps.

Our Turning captions on and troubleshooting video may also help.

Some services do not have to show captions. You cannot make a complaint about caption quality or missing captions on: 

• catch-up TV and other streamed programs
• programs on multi-channels that haven’t previously been broadcast with captions
• programs that are not in English
• programs that consist wholly of music
• advertisements 
• community TV.

You also cannot complain if Auslan interpreters are not used.

Repeats of programs must have captions if the original broadcast had captions.

You can complain directly to us about the quality of captions or lack of caption on commercial or subscription TV. They must meet the quality in the Broadcasting Services (Television Captioning) Standard 2023. 

You may want to contact the broadcaster first if you think the captioning problem is a technical one that could be fixed by the broadcaster. For example, if the captions are dropping out.

You can complain directly to us by completing the broadcasting complaint form.

Information about making a complaint about captioning on commercial or subscription television is also available in this video, which includes Auslan translation and captioning.

If you have a captioning complaint about a program broadcast by the ABC or SBS, you must first write to the relevant broadcaster within 6 weeks of the broadcast.

If your complaint is about a program broadcast on ABC, you can write to ABC Audience and Consumer Affairs, GPO Box 9994, in the capital city of your state or territory, or make your complaint through the ABC website.

If your complaint is about a program broadcast on SBS, you must put your complaint in writing and send it to Locked Bag 028, Crows Nest NSW 1585, or email comments@sbs.com.au. Further information about captioning complaints about an SBS program or service is available at the SBS website.

If you don't receive a response from the broadcaster within 30 days, or if you're not satisfied with the response, you can refer your complaint to us by completing the broadcasting complaint form.

Information about making a complaint about captioning on ABC or SBS is also available through our informational video, which includes Auslan translation and captioning.

You will need to give enough information to identify the program being complained about:

• the date of broadcast
• the name of the television program
• the television channel on which you saw the program.

You will also need to provide your contact details and explain the problem with the captioning.