PBS to take legal steps against Broadcasting Authority

The Public Broadcasting Services has announced it will take legal action against the Broadcasting Authority, after the broadcasting regulator directed TVM to host a debate between the Labour and the Nationalist deputy leaders on Dissett tomorrow (Saturday) before a scheduled appearance on Xarabank on 11 January.

The BA was asked to intervene by the Nationalist Party after the producers of Dissett failed to invite Simon Busuttil in a programme where newly-elected Labour deputy leader Louis Grech was to participate.

The PL on its part said it had asked Dissett's producers to invite Busuttil to take part in the interview, but it was PBS that insisted on having Grech participate in Dissett and later host the two deputy leaders on Xarabank.

In a meeting held on Friday between the PBS board of directors and the editorial board, a decision was taken to take the BA directive to the law courts, claiming the BA's "recommendation" to host both deputy leaders on Dissett was later changed into a binding directive.

The tiff between the national TV station and the BA is believed to stem from the PBS's editorial board insistence on having Busuttil and Grech face off against each other on the live-audience Xarabank programme of 11 January, rather than on Dissett, which is presented by veteran journalist Reno Bugeja.

The original BA recommendation to PBS to have the two deputy leaders on Dissett was initially dismissed by the national broadcaster, which said it would retain its editorial authority not to host Busuttil and Grech on the 5 January programme of Dissett.

On its part, Labour has insisted that when it had received the invitation to Dissett it had asked to have Simon Busuttil in the studio. "PBS informed us of the decision to have Louis Grech feature on Dissett on his own. To avoid any controversy, Labour has agreed to have the deputy leaders meet on Dissett on another date... this a decision that respects the Christmas truce between both parties."

The BA later issued a statement making it clear that it was "ordering" PBS to adhere to its original recommendation.

"The [BA] board feels that the recommendation should have been upheld and accepted by the state broadcaster. The board notes with disappointment that PBS chose to place itself above the Authority's decision. This is not acceptable and will not be tolerated, especially in such sensitive times when the election campaign is just a few days away."