F Living fined €1,160 for airing 'bad taste' Norman Lowell interview

Following reports, F Living channel has been fined €1,160 for its Attwali programme allowing Norman Lowell's "bad taste" interview that aired on 5 April.

The interview included "xenophobic statements that can be offensive to the public sentiment", the Broadcasting Authority (BA) said in a statement, referring to indpendent MEP candidate Lowell's admiration of Hitler and his comments on African people having a lower IQ than Europeans.

F Living Chief Executive Karl Bonaci defended the airing of the controversial interview by saying that he was observing the BA's direction to provide a platform for every party leader and every candidate ahead of the local council and MEP elections. He also insisted, the BA said, that he was upholding democracy by doing so and respecting the freedom of expression.

"Citizens and voters have a right to know what Norman Lowell is saying so that they would be better informed on who to vote," Bonaci told the BA.

The BA said that while it reaffirmed the important of freedom of expression, this wasn't an absolute right.

"It's important to protect this funamental human right of every person but this right is not absolute and the TV channel has a responsibility to ascertain that the rights of third parties are not being encroached upon. In this case, in particular in terms of people with disabilities, these comments were in bad taste," the BA said.

For this reason, the BA considered that the reports it received with regard to the programme where Lowell spoke his mind were warranted and it fined the channel €1,160 to be paid within 60 days.

READ MORE: Norman Lowell interview turns Hitler-fest as F Living gives far-rightist free rein