CHANNEL 9 has been put on a short leash by the media watchdog after consistently mishandling viewer complaints.

Under a strict new ruling, Nine must provide ACMA with a monthly report of audience gripes received and how the network has addressed them - or face tough penalties.

Nine has also agreed to provide the industry body with quarterly reports on compliance prepared by an independent auditor.

The unprecedented slap follows a persistent pattern of code breaches, which Nine acknowledged as "unacceptable.''

ACMA chairman Chris Chapman said "it is important for members of the public to feel confident that TV stations will respond, substantively and promptly, when they make a complaint about a code matter."

Nine has been found in breach of the code 17 times in the past two years.

The most costly was in September last year when Sam Newman and The Footy Show (AFL) were forced to pay $200,000 to charity for ridiculing a Malaysian man during a skit.

A Nine spokesperson said it had "greatly improved its complaints handling processes in recent times and this has been acknowledged by the ACMA Nine believes that its current complaints handling process is industry best practice.''

The network had offered the new enforceable undertaking "in recognition of past conduct and to demonstrate our proactive approach in responding to viewer complaints.''

NINE'S SHAME FILE

* Mar 2011: failed to provide caption service on NBN News and A Current Affair

* Nov 2010: with Ten, found guilty of promoting interactive gambling services

* Sept 2010: Sam Newman and The Footy Shown (AFL) provoked severe ridicule of Malaysian man and forced to pay $200,000 to charity

* Aug 2010: incorrectly classified episode of Dante's Code as AV (adult violence)

* Jul 2010: failed to provide caption service on Nine News and RPA

* May 2010: breached children's television standards over a prize segment on The Shak

* Mar 2010: 60 Minutes unfairly linked school to segregation

* Dec 2009: failed to provide caption service for programs on GO!

* Nov 2009: with Ten and Seven, breached news accuracy requirements relating to a story on Sudanese refugees

* Nov 2009: promotion of Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities inappropriate G viewing

* Sept 2009: A Current Affair failed to present factual material accurately in a story about a debt recovery company

* Aug 2009: A Current Affair guilty of designing program to induce hypnotic state in viewers

* June 2009: A Current Affair failed to present factual material accurately in a story about municipal carpark rangers

* May 2009: Sam Newman and The Footy Show (AFL) provoked severe ridicule of female journalist and mishandled complaints

* Mar 2009: A Current Affair failed to present factual material accurately in a story titled 'Foreign Doctors'

* Feb 2009: classification breach on Underbelly and Gordon Ramsay programs

* Feb 2009: used racist overtones towards Aboriginal people in National Nine News story about baby bonus scheme