The Nationalist Party has expressed concern over the changes being made at TVM, and is considering all possible choices before it, including legal action, "to prevent PBS from being taken over by the Labour government in an election year."

It was announced earlier in the day that, as from the coming October, PBS will launch a new national news station, TVMnews+, focusing on news, sports, culture and current affairs.

The role of TVM, it was said, will continue but will more be focussed on entertainment programmes aimed at the whole family.

The PN said that PBS decided to remove the news and current affairs programmes from the main station, TVM. "Instead, the news and current affairs programmes will be placed on TVM2, which will be named TVMnews."

The PN said it was not consulted, and aired concern. "The PN does not trust that the leadership of PBS acts justly and autonomously. TVM has been found, repeatedly guilty for failing to honour its obligations of impartiality."

Instead of resigning, Minister Carmelo Abela seems intent on continuing to weaken another institution, "while ensuring more impunity," the PN said.

The PN said that many journalists have left TVM as they could not work freely. "While PL officials are given disproportionate  air time during the news and programmes, it has become ever harder for the opposition to be reported on TVM."