Members of the Maltese community in Australia are furious with Channel 9 after parts of the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics including the entrance of the Maltese contingent during the parade of nations were not broadcast.

Evidence of this were the numerous remarks and comments posted on the Channel 9 Facebook page.

The disappointment was even greater considering that Australians had to make an extra effort to watch the ceremony, as they had to up wake up early. Fiona Lochtenberg Borda, whose surname indicates her Maltese origins, remarked that as the athletes entered the stadium, she had waited eagerly “for the proud moment to see our flag flying” but it was all in vain as “for some reason Malta was the only country that Channel 9 decided was not worth covering”.

Some viewers went a step further and phoned Channel 9 to lodge a formal complaint. However, no explanation was given.