Updated | Broadcasting Authority rebukes ‘selective’ PBS news… PBS calls for chairman’s resignation

Broadcasting Authority says PBS news is “selective” and orders national broadcaster to guarantee fairness and impartiality.

22 February 2013, 12:00am
by Staff Reporter

2 min read

Adds reaction by PBS

The Broadcasting Authority has ordered the Public Broadcasting Services (PBS) to guarantee that news bulletins are fair and impartial.

In a letter sent to PBS, the authority explained that after holding a number of formal and informal meetings with the station's management, to discuss "aspects that were concerning the authority in regards to certain programmes and the TVM news bulletins."

While noting that in some instances the national broadcaster addressed the authority's preoccupations, other issues remained unresolved.

Following the station's failure to address such shortcomings, the authority sent a formal letter to PBS, listing all the shortcomings which are "seriously concerning" the authority and ordered the station to take all necessary steps immediately.

""In recent weeks, after upholding our monitoring, it resulted that in numerous instances there was a lack of impartiality in the way news was being reported because PBS was selective in broadcasting news as well as in the content and presentation," the letter said.

The Broadcasting Authority added that it was admonishing the station for the shortcomings listed in the letter and orders that such actions are rectified immediately to guarantee that the principles of impartiality and fairness are upheld on the national broadcasting station, particularly in the sensitive last two weeks of the campaign.

The authority also ordered PBS to broadcast the statement on tonight's TVM bulletin.

Reacting to the BA's accusation, the Public Broadcasting Services called for the resignation of Twanny Tabone, chairman of the Broadcasting Authority.

In its reply, PBS said that the authority found PBS guilty without first listen to what the state TV had to say.

"Such behaviour goes over and above the powers of the authority, in clear breach of the law," PBS said, adding that it would be broadcasting the meetings held between the BA and PBS.

The PBS added that if Twanny Tabone felt he was not capable of resisting to the pressures, "he should take the honourable way out and resign rather than be part of such shameful decisions".

More from Staff Reporter

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Shame on you PBS....Biex jigi kkonfermat il-mikrofnu zghir fil-widna tal-prezentaturi tal-PBS, illum ghal habta ta disa' neqsin kwart ta' filghodu fuq TVM waqt dibattitu Zammit Dimech u Gulia lill Ruth Amaira beda jsaffrila l-mikrofnu tal-widna li ma tidirx (lemenija)u kella tnehhieh u ma kkumentat fuq xejn f'dak id-dibattitu.....Shame on you PBS xi dwejjaq ta prezentaturi.

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Shame on pbs. It is the head of news and the chairman od PBS who shoild resign as theyare acting as if PBS is a PN club. I hear the news and cannot distingiush PBS from Net news. Anthony Tabone is a person of high integrity. Shame on PBS throwing mud on such a valid person who is respected wherever he was appointed. And he was appointed chairman of the broadcasting authority by the PN. So what is eating PBS.

Mark Fenech •

The PBS added that if Twanny Tabone felt he was not capable of resisting to the pressures, "he should take the honourable way out and resign rather than be part of such shameful decisions So BA's chairman cannot handle pressure according to PBS, but the PBS chairman can handle pressure, because he could have a drink or two. The latter chairman can handle pressure because he allows his subordinates to continue being biased in all current affairs programme and their CEO was also involved in mitigating the problems between Dr. Franco Debono and gonzipn. They can be biased and they can handle the pressure, but I expect that by now they have already offerred their resignation, which is the ethic for all boards of public organisations before the voting starts in the general elections.

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Now this is Anthony Tabone that is castigating them, no less!!! When will this balance happen? In two weeks' time, when it will be practically useless?

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‘Shame on you’ PBS…veru ma tisthux, veru li l-PL qed jiehu pacenzja u juri li hu partit ta’ veru u matur meta jippartecipa f’programmi relatati mal-politika…f’kazijiet ohra u zminijiet ohra kont nippreferi li l-PL ma jippartecipax izda llum il-poplu qed jinduna li liz-zbilanc hu incredibbli favur il-gvern. Tal-misthija saru l-programmi Bondi+, Xarabank, TVAM, TVHEMM bil-prezentaturi ma jiqfux jippruvaw igibu r-rapprezentanti tal-PL f’xi rokna biex jagevolaw lill-gvern…li hu verament ‘mind bogling’ hu kif lis-spirtu pront ta’ dawn il-prezentaturi johrog hekk instantanju li jhalli lill-kullhadd imbellah…wisq probabbli bl-ghajnuna ta’ minn ikun wara dak il-mikrofnu zghir fil-widna ta’ dawn… mur gib lill Bruno Vespa jew Simona Ventura fil-programm Porta-a-Porta, jew lill Jay Leno, David Letterman, Mentana, u jew lill Beppe Grillo jagixxu b'dan il-mod!!!!’Shame on you’ PBS.

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Public Broadcasting Authority - for which Public does PBS cater?

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THE MANAGEMENT OF PBS SHOULD BE TAKEN TO COURT FOR BREACHING OUR LAWS IN SUCH A SHAMEFUL WAY. THEY ARE DISGUSTING AND EVERY SINGLE EFFORT SHOULD BE MADE FOR THESE PEOPLE TO BE ARRAIGNED FOR INCITEMENT AGAINST THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE OF MALTA.

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Mr Mallia Milanes please take note.