TVM obliged to relay differing views, Adrian Delia tells public broadcaster’s top officials

The Public Broadcasting Services must not be used by the government for partisan promotion and is obliged to reflect different opinions, Adrian Delia said.

The Opposition leader was speaking during a courtesy visit at PBS, where he met the media company’s top officials.

“From the public broadcaster, we expect the highest standards of news that are correct, factual and impartial,” Delia said.

He said the fact that PBS received public funds placed greater responsibility on those chosen to lead the company.

“PBS is obliged to relay differing views… it is even obliged to report criticism of government decisions,” he said.

Delia was accompanied by Nationalist Party secretary general Francis Zammit Dimech and Opposition spokesperson Therese Comodini Cachia.

The PN delegation met with PBS chairman Tonio Portughese, CEO Charles Dalli and editor Reno Bugeja.

They discussed PBS’s obligation to promote culture and the Maltese identity, and give the greatest space possible to promote creativity.

The PBS officials said the station honours its legal obligations to be balanced and impartial. "It is because of this that TVM news has the largest audiences," the officials said.

The PN delegation also met PBS newsroom journalists and thanked them for their unstinting work.