AD boycotts last-minute Xarabank invite

Alternattiva Demokratika has circulated correspondence between party spokesperson Ralph Cassar and PBS Head of News Natalino Fenech, where AD is complaining of discriminatory treatment whereby its representatives do not enjoy the same exposure on televised debate shows as those from the Labour and Nationalist parties.

AD argued that while Labour and Nationalist representatives enjoy prominent spots on current affairs and debate programmes produced by Where's Everybody, AD has its credibility undermined by either not being invited, or by being forced to speak from the audience.

The correspondence was also communicated to Broadcasting Authority CEO Pierre Cassar.

As part of its complaint, AD maintained that the party was contacted to send a representative to Friday's episode of Xarabank only a few days before the programme is due to air.

AD noted that the invite surfaced only after AD openly complained about its consistent exclusion from current affairs programmes produced by Where's Everybody.

Even so, AD said it was only invited to send a representative to form part of the programme's studio audience and deliver the party's statement from there, "while the PL and PN representatives have the privilege of being o the panel."

AD said also that "AD was invited to the programme without reference to the degree of participation in the programme."

AD slammed what it described as "equivocation and a last-minute strategy that forces one to submit by pretending to participate in the debate by forming part of the audience" and maintained that "it is part of a political strategy that Xarabank's producers like to play."

AD said this is "unacceptable" and insisted that the party's representatives refuse to attend such debates "while other parties are granted much more time to confront each other's ideas."

The party dismissed the opportunity to speak from the audience, insisting that "one has barely any time to string a sentence together, let alone build an argument" and added that merely being restricted to speaking from the audience "gives the impression to TV audiences that AD's opinions are not as valid as those held by the PN or the PL."

AD also dismissed excuses that AD's exclusion from the panel was motivated by "technical and visual factors" and insisted that Xarabank's producers "will use any excuse to exclude AD."

The party called on Natalino Fenech as PBS Editor to intervene so as to ensure that AD is able to participate in political debates on the same level as Labour and Nationalist representatives.

On the same day, Labour slammed the Public Broadcasting Service in a dissection of what it described as its "politically biased agenda" and "crass reporting" on the current parliamentary stalemate.