Alternattiva Demokratika welcomes PBS instructions

Alternattiva Demokratika has welcomed the news that national broadcaster, PBS, had issued instructions which would ensure that the Green Party's voice is heard on television on a regular basis.

AD deputy chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said the Greens were satisfied that PBS had now issued clear directives which make it possible for AD to be heard adequately on TV.

The Green Party released the replies received from the Broadcasting Authority to the complaints which the party submitted on the way in which PBS and the Nationalist Party's NET TV had been "suffocating" AD's voice during  current affairs programmes.

In its correspondence the Broadcasting Authority said that the national broadcaster had issued instructions to include AD representatives at least twice a week on programmes broadcast daily such as breakfast show TVAM and afternoon discussion programme TVHemm.

The PBS instructions also say that programmes which are broadcast twice a week, such as Bondiplus are bound to invite AD representatives at least once a week. Weekly programmes such as Xarabank also have to give space to AD, the letter explains.  

A letter signed by Broadcasting Authority CEO Pierre Cassar explains that NET TV had committed itself to make up for its failure to have AD representatives invited on its discussion programmes at least once a week.

In the case that NET TV fail to observe the Broadcasting Authority directives, Cassar said that AD should draw the broadcasting watchdog's attention to ensure that necessary action is taken.

However, in regards to PBS, Cassar said that the authority itself would take the neccessery action against the national broadcaster if it fails to observe the directive, without AD's prompting.

AD chairperson Michael Briguglio said that AD will keep on the lookout to ensure that all stations give reasonable space to AD.