After Labour offensive, PBS lists PL affiliates employed with state TV
In an attempt to rubbish Labour’s claims of a “PN network” working at the station, PBS lists number of positions taken up by former PL executives or media employees.
The Public Broadcasting Services (PBS) attempted to downplay accusations of having "setup a network for the PN's electoral campaign" by providing a list of employees who were either former ONE workers or members of the party executive.
In a statement, PBS said former members of the PL executive, former Labour international secretary, a former head of ONE News, a former journalist and cameraman at ONE and former two presenters, producers and chief executive of ONE.
"They were not employed because of their political beliefs, but because of their abilities," the station said.
Yesterday, Labour MP Gino Cauchi hit out at PBS in a dissection of what he called its "politically biased agenda" and "crass reporting" on the current parliamentary stalemate.
He also listed its top officials as being party to an effort to assist the PN in its upcoming electoral campaign.
"CEO Anton Attard was formerly chief of Net TV and a main member of the PN's electoral strategy team in 2008; the head of news Natalino Fenech is allowing his political agenda to influence news bulletins; former Net TV journalists and a minister's spokesperson Mario Xuereb has been appointed junior manager for current affairs programmes; and former PN journalist and MEPA board secretary Sylvana Debono is now online content manager," Cauchi said.
Cauchi also reassured workers that "contrary to spreading rumours, no PBS worker will be made redundant" in the eventuality of a Labour government.
But in its statement, PBS accused Cauchi of lying insisting that there was no scaremongering campaign going on at the station.
PBS said it expected Cauchi to issue an apology after making "unfounded claims' earlier this week during a television programme on ONE TV.
It also accused the Labour MP of "pressuring workers to condition them", while adding that the general public were "intelligent enough" to understand who was saying the truth.