ONE and NET ask to intervene in court case against Broadcasting Authority law

Political media houses ONE and NET have asked to intervene in a case filed by Lovin Malta CEO Chris Peregin, saying that the case threatens their very existence.

The case filed by the independent media house against the State Advocate asks the court to declare the proviso to Article 13 of the Broadcasting Act anti-constitutional.

The proviso in question allows the authority to ignore bias and allow political propaganda on the premise that the two party stations balance each other out.

At a preliminary hearing before newly appointed Judge Ian Spiteri Bailey this morning, the parties did not oppose the requests to be allowed as intervenors.

Lovin Malta asked the media houses to state their interest in the case.

ONE TV, represented by lawyer Pawlu Lia, in its application to be admitted to the case, argued that if the proviso is declared anti-constitutional, this “would have serious effects on the station’s operations, and therefore its existence”.

Lawyer Veronica Perici Calascione, who is appearing for Media.Link, which owns NET TV, undertook to clarify the company’s interest in the coming days.

Francis Zammit Dimech, Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici, Eddie Fenech Adami and George Abela - all of whom have been critical of political party media in the past, are among the witnesses who will testify in the court case.

Officials from ONE and Net are also being asked to testify before the court, as are representatives from independent mediahouses.

The case continues in October.