Two of the five members of the Broadcasting Authority (BA), the constitutional broadcasting watchdog, did not agree with the decision to prevent the producers of television programme Bondi Plus from changing the subject of Monday’s programme, this newspaper has learnt.
Contacted yesterday, BA members Joe Pace Asciak and Alfred Mallia Milanes confirmed they did not agree with the authority’s decision to fail to approve a subject change proposed by Bondi Plus presenter Lou Bondi.
The issue began last Saturday, when the BA was informed by Public Broadcasting Services (PBS) that Mr Bondi had proposed to change the subject of his Monday programme, to deal instead with Labour leader Alfred Sant’s reply to Budget 2008.
That day, MLP secretary-general Jason Micallef informed the BA’s executive head that the Labour Party did not intend sending a representative to the programme.
In these circumstances, the BA said it felt there could not be the necessary impartiality in the programme on the budget reply, if there was to be no representative of the opposition. As a result, it did not approve the subject change proposed by the presenter and Monday’s programme featured a discussion on abortion instead.
The BA consists of chairman Joseph Scicluna, and members Reno Borg and Rose Sciberras, apart from Dr Pace Asciak and Mr Mallia Milanes.
Interestingly, Mr Mallia Milanes appeared on the PN-run television station Net TV, on budget day, praising budgetary measures and Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi.
On the other hand, Dr Borg took part in a programme on the Labour Party’s One TV, praising the Labour leader’s reply to the budget speech.
Contacted for comment, Mr Bondi said: “It gives me great satisfaction that at least two of the five members of the BA had the courage to come out against this abominable decision which runs roughshod over the practice of journalism.
“Worse still, it was a decision which gave a political party the power to abort any current affairs programme that discusses a topic it does not wish discussed. At least, two members of the BA have refused to embark on the road to Zimbabwe.”