Broadcasting Authority upholds ADPD complaint against ONE over lack of coverage

The Broadcasting Authority has upheld a complaint filed by ADPD after ONE failed to report the party’s news conference on the hospitals’ concessions scandal.

In its decision, the authority ordered ONE to air a report on the party’s press conference on 30 March, almost three weeks after the conference was held.

In their complaint, ADPD said that ONE was systematically omitting coverage of its press conferences and statements, and in turn failing in its obligation to be impartial.

But in their defence, ONE maintained that it has full discretion over their editorial line and reports on ADPD statements when they feel it is of news value.

The Broadcasting Authority ruled that ADPD’s conference in this regard was indeed of news value, while noting that ONE’s last coverage of an ADPD conference was broadcast last November.

In light of this, the authority asked ONE to broadcast a report on the conference. This aired on Thursday.

ADPD chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said that this is a step in the right direction to ensure political party stations broadcast impartial news.

“ADPD will continue to insist that this is carried out by all,” he added.

This decision marks the first time that the Broadcasting Authority ruled that a political party media station broke the rules by not reporting a statement from another party.