The Broadcasting Authority fined Melita Cable Lm1,000 yesterday after it was found guilty of broadcasting an advertisement for an alcoholic beverage before 9pm.

In a statement, the Broad-casting Authority said it was fining the cable company Lm1,000 for allowing the advert to be screened before 9pm as well as various advertising spots in which it was said that the match that was being broadcast was sponsored by Heineken.

The Broadcasting Authority also gave its decision on three other cases. Two were in respect of breaches to the Broadcasting Act with regard to sponsorships and adverts on Bongu and Kullhadd fil-Pjazza, both broadcast on TVM. The authority let the station off with a warning, since it was the first time these programmes had breached the Act.

The third decision concerned a complaint filed by Church radio station RTK which complained that TVM had failed to cover the debate between Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and Opposition Leader Alfred Sant on the budget for 2007.

The station said it had decided not to cover the event since enough had been said about the budget and that if people wanted to listen to the debate, they would have tuned in to the station.

The authority accepted the reasons given by the station, adding that it did not see why it should alter the

station’s editorial discretion.