Watch, listen, don’t clap: the BA’s barmy rules for audiences

The Broadcasting Authority's new guidelines for programmes dealing with the 2013 elections on state TV will reduce live audiences to lifeless spectators, because they are effectively prohibited to clap and react during political debates.

Expect no applause and only dignified silence as Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and Opposition leader Joseph Muscat face each other tonight Friday, on Xarabank.

Far from beckoning the baying audience to react in a civilised manner, the Broadcasting Authority will demand that spectators are equally split between the participants, that they are not allowed to applaud except at the introduction and conclusion of the debate; that all their questions be vetted beforehand to ensure 'impartiality, balance and fairness'; and for PBS not to broadcast the reactions of the audience to the answers of the leaders.

"Cutaway shots of individual members of the audience are only permissible if one of the leaders is addressing directly the person who asked the question. Some group shots and wide shots are allowed during the debate. However these shots must be divided equally if they are used, while one of the leaders is replying to a question," the BA says in its guidelines.

Equally strict are the guidelines for moderators, who have been told they are unable to pass comment on their participants' reply except for additional questions on the details of the answer.

And for the first time, there will be no televoting on the performance of the participants: an unscientific poll that has riled parties many a time. Televoting will only be allowed on a political question, and when accompanied with a disclaimer that the poll is not scientific.

Broadcasting Authority Directive Programmes by maltatoday

Rules

The aim of these rules is to ensure that during debates party leaders or deputy leaders are treated equally not only in the amount of time given but also in the moderator's conduct.

The responsibility to ensure equal treatment falls squarely on the programme's producers and the station. Ultimately it is the station's registered editor who assumes responsibility for what is broadcast.

Audience

The audience must be equally split between the participants/parties to safeguard the principle of equal treatment.

No clapping or other forms of interruption are allowed except in the introduction and conclusion of the programme. Members of the audience must be instructed on what is expected of them during the debate. The rules are agreed between the parties and the producer.

Members of the audience who are chosen to pose questions must pass the questions to the producer beforehand and the criteria for the selection of questions must be based on impartiality, balance and fairness. The questions must reflect equal treatment of the participants.

Questions must be relevant to the current national political debate.

An equal number of questions must be asked to the participants.

Members of the audience posing questions must limit themselves to asking the agreed question and refrain from adding frivolous comments and supplementary questions.

Cutaways and reactions of individual members of the audience while a participant is speaking are not allowed.

Members of the audience must be shown asking the questions in close-up.

Cutaway shots of individual members of the audience are only permissible if one of the leaders is addressing directly the person who asked the question.

Some group shots and wide shots are allowed during the debate. However these shots must be divided equally if they are used, while one of the leaders is replying to a question.

Role of the moderator

The moderator must ensure that the leaders' time is divided as agree,

The moderator must ensure that the programme is flowing and that leaders are treated equally.

The moderator cannot pass any comments on the participants' replies of interventions but can pose additional questions on details mentioned by the participants during their replies.

The moderator cannot participate in the debate but he must ask questions and conduct the programme in a just, impartial, fair and balance way.

The moderator must ensure that the programme is conducted in a civilised manner, disallow interruptions between the leaders and use all his abilities to ensure that viewers understand what is being said.

The moderator is obliged to ensure that any disabled participants are treated in a manner which facilitate their abilities and do whatever is possible to ensure that their message is delivered according to their needs.

The moderator must not gesticulate or make any signs that could confuse the participants.

Programme's structure

Participants must be in place as soon as the programme starts.

The moderator must introduce the participants and ask them to hold an introduction which is not longer then one minute thirty seconds or a length of time agreed beforehand.

In each section of the programme two questions from the audience are allowed (or a number of questions agreed to by the participants beforehand), following the procedures established above.

Participants must be guaranteed equal time to reply to questions.

Parts of the programme must be an open debate between the participants and these must be granted equal time and identical camera work.

Participants must be granted equal time for their concluding remarks.

The order of appearance must respect the current criterion, meaning that the leader of the Opposition starts first and the Prime Minister concludes, however in the case of a debate between deputy leaders an agreement between the participants must be reached between the parties and the producer and in the absence of an agreement the order must be established by lottery. The order of speakers must be included in the programme's running order.

The debate's themes must be agreed between the producer and party representatives beforehand. This guarantees impartiality and fairness.

Televoting questions on who is performing better are not allowed. If a political televoting question is included in the programme, the station is obliged to include a disclaimer that televoting is not a scientific poll and that the result does not necessarily reflect the general opinion.

This directive is also applicable to debates between party deputy leaders.