BA defers hearing on PN complaint against PBS

The Broadcasting Authority has deferred judgement on a complaint by the PN against national broadcaster PBS's head of news Reno Bugeja, for Thursday 19 December.

The BA said it had accepted a "valid" request for deferment so that Bugeja's right to a fair hearing was respected, and so that the authority could deliver a fair and just ruling.

The PN has filed a complaint against Bugeja after PBS did not report a speech by finance minister Edward Scicluna to the European Parliament's economic and financial affairs committee, which was picked up by the rest of the media for its references to the Individual Investor Programme.

The BA was today scheduled to discuss the complaint filed by the PN on 11 December and a press release issued by the PN on this matter. On its part, PBS claimed the item had "no news value".

This morning, at 8:30a.m., the BA was informed that Reno Bugeja was indisposed and a deferment for the hearing of this case was sought.

"The policy, followed for a number of years by the Broadcasting Authority with all political parties and broadcasting stations, has always been that of accepting valid requests for deferment so that the right to a fair hearing is preserved. In this case, the submission of Mr Reno Bugeja as Head of News of PBS Ltd. is considered vital so that the Authority can deliver a fair and just ruling.

"If the Authority had not accepted this request for deferment, it would not only have been in breach of the law and the right to a fair hearing, but it would possibly have rendered itself liable to judicial proceedings. In line with similar cases in the past, both the complainant and the station were informed of the postponement of the sitting. Such notification reached both parties by 10:30am."