TVM head of news refuses Labour right-of-reply to Cachia Caruana

Opposition leader's recorded interview on Dissett was uncharacteristically followed up by right-of-reply from Richard Cachia Caruana.

Labour has accused PBS of accommodating Richard Cachia Caruana to suit his partisan ends. Photo: Ray Attard/Mediatoday
Labour has accused PBS of accommodating Richard Cachia Caruana to suit his partisan ends. Photo: Ray Attard/Mediatoday

The Labour Party has published a right-of-reply that was turned down by TVM's head of news Natalino Fenech, in which they accused the Public Broadcasting Services of being unabashed in its confrontational tactics against the Opposition.

The source of disagreement concerns a rare occasion in which a recorded interview with Opposition leader Joseph Muscat on Reno Bugeja's Dissett was rapidly followed up by a right-of-reply from Richard Cachia Caruana, the former permanent representative to the EU who was ousted in a motion moved by the Opposition in parliament.

The PL is protesting with the Broadcasting Authority, Fenech's decision to allow Cachia Caruana a right-of-reply on the basis of a recorded interview when the party was unaware Muscat's recorded interview would precede the former ambassador's forceful defence. 

"National broadcasting is being used unashamedly as a GonziPN propaganda machine to accommodate Richard Cachia Caruana," the party said in a statement.

"Cachia Caruana's riposte to Joseph Muscat's interview was partisan and a substantial part had nothing to do with what Muscat said on Dissett. If this was a right-of-reply, the parts of his reply that had nothing to do with what Muscat said should have not been broadcast."

The PL also said that in its report on the interview, the TVM news bulletin reported Muscat's comments - ostensibly in paraphrasing Cachia Caruana - as "false and misleading allegations".

"In a most partisan manner, they appropriated the disparaging and malicious comments made by Cachia Caruana. One would now expect that the expedite manner in which PBS broadcast this right-of-reply becomes standard practice."

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Luke Camilleri
PBS sar veru stazzjon tar-REGIM ta' GonziPN immexxi u kontrollat bir-remote control f'XI ID MOHBIJA minn GonziOPM f ' Kastilja!
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dan l att xejn demokratiku juri kif tahdem il klikka. rcc seta jisma ir rekording tal programm qabel il poplu malta ghax dan hekk huwa omnipotenti. il pbs taht natalino nazzjonalist ippatentjat ma tatix ir right of reply lill partit laburista.... xi hadd irid ihallas. ma jistax ikun li dawn il hnizrijiet jibghu isehhu fdan iz zmien tant delikat ghal malta. jien nissuggerixxi li jekk il pakket finanzjarju li rcc se jinghata ma hux kontemplat fil kuntratt tieghu dan ghandu jirritorna dawn il flus lura lill minn ikun hadhom jigifieri lit taxpayer malti...u bl interessi. mhux ta bxejn l istess dr franco debono qal li il pbs huwa fsitwazzjoni ghar min zmien toni pelleggrini......
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Let's hope the MLP will have its say during the NP meeting to expel Cachia Caruana.
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NATALINO FENECH: QATT MA KIEN HEMM L-ICKEN DUBJU GHALFEJN POGGEWK KAP TAL-KAMRA TAL-AHBARIJIET ! QIEGHED TKOMPLI TIKKONFERMA DAK LI STQARR DR.FRANCO DEBONO - LI X-XANDIR FUQ TVM SAR AGHAR MILLI KIEN TAHT TONI PELLEGRINI !!!! IKKONFERMAJT KEMM KELLU RAGUN. IFRAH !!!!!!!!!!
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This is the same taste of undemocratic rights that MLP suffered in the 60S. Mela dan RCC ma kienx imgieghel jirrezejna bil-fors,mill-oghla istituzzjoni tal-pajjiz ghallavolja ma ridtx jitlaq biex jibqa ippapiha? Mela dan jaghmel li jridt qisu xi tirann medjovali ta l-epoka li spiccat? U dan Natalino Fenech min hu biex b'mod partiggan ihawwad u igerfex biex il-bubun jiehdu il-partit tieghu? Ghalhekk inhallsu t-taxxi? Gibtuna Republika ta Borat, bil-hatchet man u is-sahhara tal-Bidnija jizfnu id-diska tad-disprament qabel ma ir-renju olargiku taghhom jispicca u jevapora?
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This is the same taste of undemocratic rights that MLP suffered in the 60S. Mela dan RCC ma kienx imgieghel jirrezejna bil-fors,mill-oghla istituzzjoni tal-pajjiz ghallavolja ma ridtx jitlaq biex jibqa ippapiha? Mela dan jaghmel li jridt qisu xi tirann medjovali ta l-epoka li spiccat? U dan Natalino Fenech min hu biex b'mod partiggan ihawwad u igerfex biex il-bubun jiehdu il-partit tieghu? Ghalhekk inhallsu t-taxxi? Gibtuna Republika ta Borat, bil-hatchet man u is-sahhara tal-Bidnija jizfnu id-diska tad-disprament qabel ma ir-renju olargiku taghhom jispicca u jevapora?
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Kellkom xi dubju? Mela diga insejtu x'qal id-deputat nazzjonalista Franco Debono , li il PBS taht din l-amministrazzjoni huwa GHAR milli kien taht Toni Pellegrini. Tal misthija, l-aqwa li jibghtlek biex thallas il-licenzja tat-TV biex naraw din il mandra moderna.
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kif qatt jista il poplu malti ikollu fiducja f' gonzipn,sewwa jghidu li meta tkun ilek fil poter issir arroganti.Mela din mhux arroganza jew,tibni u tonfoq dawk il miljuni kollha fil bini ta parlament gdid meta ma hemmx bzonnu.gonzipn stess qed jurina dan kollu.Fejn qatt smajnija din li il parlament ser ikun bil holidays ghal xaghrejn,trid tkun ghama fil poter bex tiehu decissjoni bhal din.Mela issa ma hawnx krizi fl ewropa jew issa l ewropa fiqet. Jidher car daqs il kristal li ghal gonzipn il partit jigi l ewwel qabel il governita tal pajjiz.Sur gonzipn dan hu musmar iehor fit tebut ta dan il gvern arroganti.
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And to think that these ass***les had the gall to win an election on the back of their criticism of Dardir Malta, and moreover whine against the tactics used by Lorry Sant and his henchmen. The PN is proving correct the maxim "what they had done, we can do far worse but as softly as a snake"
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Sinjuri tal P.L. Hawn qeghedin taraw li lil dawn in nies ma tistax tafdhom.Qeghed inwasslilkhom messaggi mill l-esperjenza tieghi li dawn huma ilpup libsin ta naghag...ibda mill min dak li jipretendi li huwa l-aqwa gurnalist gewwa Malta. Jekk kien irrekordjat kif iddahhal ir reply ta RCC.Din bhal ma qisek edittjat dak li qal J.M. minghajr ma tghejdlu.Din l-affari serja.Din twaqfuhiex hawn, jekk ikun hemm il bzon BOYKOTT lid DARDIR MALTA...Ghax qazzuna issa.
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The end is nigh...!
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Who is this demi god Natalino Fenech ?. What right has he got to turn TVM into NET2 ?. What right has he got to use such partisan politics on a supposed National station funded by the taxpayers money ?. What right has he got to refuse a right of reply by the PL over a shameful reply by RCC ?. Please stop this this shameful filth on our National station before it is too late. We are demanding justice, and an answer from the TVM Head of News over this FILTH.
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Flimkien kollox possibli. Dawn wicchom u wara xorta wahda.