PN files new complaint against PBS over TVM news bulletin

The Nationalist Party has today filed a new complaint against the Public Broadcasting Services (PBS) on grounds of unfair coverage during the TVM news bulletin on Tuesday 11th March.

In a letter addressed to PBS head of news Reno Bugeja, the PN has complained that the coverage of the deal between China Power Investment Corporation and the government – a deal which paved the way for the Chinese state-owned company to own 33% of Enemalta’s shares – and the PN's news conference on the government's first year in government, was in the government’s favour and presented in a way to “stifle” the PN’s comments.

The PN said it was clear that when one compares the story of Enemalta’s shares and the deal between the Chinese company and the government, the PBS is being used as a platform to convey Labour’s agenda.

“It is clear that the PBS newsroom is prioritising and regularly pushing the agenda of the government with the length of its stories, the narrative of the news and the repetitions.”

“On the other hand, the Opposition has been stifled with dry news which in turn are cancelling the message of the PN by in a way to cancel the message by other news,” the PN said said while complaining that this was evident in the news coverage of Enemalta’s share agreement.

In its complaint, the PN has argued that the news coverage of Enemalta’s agreement had a long introduction while the news conference of the Nationalist Party was “brief”.

“The introduction of the Enemalta story was three times longer than the coverage of the PN’s address. The unfair coverage was also reflected in the stories reported, as the PN’s news conference was afforded a short introduction to be stifled,” it argued.

This complaint is the latest that the PN has filed against PBS on ground of unfair coverage. It recently filed complaints over the television programme Dissett and the news bulleting aired on February 27 th.

In its latest complaint, the Opposition also accused the Public Broadcasting Services of regularly broadcasting the Labour Party's statements in response to the PN's criticism or comments on the government.

During the PN’s conference analysing the government’s first year, PN Leader Simon Busuttil had amongst other issues, accused the government of failing to live up to its pledges of meritocracy and discussed migration, the health sector and the proposed LNG terminal in Delimara.

“In its coverage of Simon Busuttil’s press conference, [PBS] left out a number of issues, amongst which included the PN’s criticism over immigration, the health sector and the LNG terminal,” the PN argued.

"Rather than report these issues, PBS included Simon Busuttil's comments on the economy - which comments were stifled in the same news bulletin by the TVM's reportage of the NSO statistics."

The PBS is allowing the Labour Party to speak on behalf of the government PN

In addition, the PN has accused the PBS newsroom of “not distinguishing” between the Labour Party and the government.

“The PBS is allowing the Labour Party to speak on behalf of the government. This could be clearly seen if one compared the reportage on the sale of Enemalta’s shares and the story of the PN’s analysis,” it continued.