The Broadcasting Authority has ordered television channel Education 22, through its current affairs programme E-news, to dedicate an edition of the programme to the Labour Party’s new plan for the educational sector.

In a letter signed by BA chief executive Kevin Aquilina, the authority said that the station’s role, as defined in 1994, was not being implemented in an effective way. However, the BA did note that the quality of programmes on the station had improved substantially, with a varied of cultural and current affairs discussion programmes.

The BA said that although the E-news programme had given substantial air time to the government’s educational policy, and to the achievements of the present administration, it had failed to find the time to provide space for the Labour Party’s plan on education. It said that in the programmes aired just after Labour made its plan public, the programme discussed subjects of far lesser importance.

Consequently, the BA ordered Education 22 to air a programme on the Labour plan and also to interview a Labour spokesperson on the subject on E-news.

However, it said that the station’s objective should continue respecting its mandate, which includes avoiding partisan politics.