PBS withdraws libel case against 17 year-old boy

Marc Calleja Bayliss, chief-editor of Eurovision hobby website www.escflashmalta.com was notified by a court marshall, that PBS were suing him for what he posted on the website.

The news was revealed last month by MaltaToday, and caused an uproar within the music community, some claiming that PBS was adopting “bullying tactics” to impose its authority and hitting out against a young boy.

Calleja Bayliss was notified together with Horace Anastasi, President of the local composers, authors and singers (UKAM) and were told by PBS that they were to be held responsible for slander.

PBS felt slandered for what Calleja Bayliss reported on his website regarding a noisy meeting for all composers that was held on Sept 21.

The UKAM President told the organisation members that many clauses within the official document prepared by PBS as the organizer of the Eurovision Song Contest were either “vague, or unclear.”

The report added that the new rules were being imposed on authors and singers, and added that “these imposed rules were clearly not the work of the people at PBS because they included ideas voice by third parties.

“This influence is troubling indeed because this is supposed to be a serious institution,” Anastasi was quoted as saying.

The report also added that Horace Anastasi made it clear that he was speaking “responsibly  and that is why he also asked whether the broadcaster might also be vying to award the victory to someone beforehand, implying that the song festival is actually fixed.”

This comment infuriated the Eurovision Song Contest Committee, and together with the PBS administration decided to sue for damages.

The libel has been withdrawn.