TVM current affairs programme presenters are breaching the national station’s rules on impartiality by writing editorials and personal blogs. The code of ethics for TVM presenters precludes presenters from voicing their opinions on controversial issues, or from writing on blogs, but a number of them are continuing to do just that.

One of the most obvious cases is MaltaToday’s managing editor Saviour Balzan. Mr Balzan is well known for his hard-hitting editorials published on Sundays, but on Mondays he presents a current affairs programme, Reporter, on TVM.

Another current affairs programme presenter is Andrew Azzopardi, who hosts Ghandi x’ Nghid, and is known both as a sociologist and as a commentator. Dr Azzopardi runs a personal blog and presents a weekly radio interview programme. He also frequently participates in discussion programmes on radio and television in which he is asked for his personal opinion and expert advice on various subjects.

But media analysts appear to be split over whether the presenters of discussion programmes should voice their opinions during the discussions they host. This newspaper has sought the opinion of PBS and its editorial board on the matter but as of yesterday had not received any answers to its queries.

Veteran presenter Peppi Azzopardi is well known for voicing his opinions not only off-air but also when hosting Malta’s most popular and longest standing chat-show, Xarabank, on Friday nights. Mr Azzopardi has been publicly involved in a number of campaigns and his views on divorce, gay marriage, the decriminalisation of marijuana and migration are well known. However, this newspaper is informed that Peppi Azzopardi was stopped by PBS from participating in a weekly programme on RTK.

And Lou Bondi who, until June, hosted Bondi+ on TVM was asked by the station to stop blogging his opinion while presenting on TVM. It is not yet clear if the new editorial board at PBS has changed its mind but sources within the national station have confirmed that a change in policy had not been communicated to current presenters.

Both Pierre Portelli and Joe Mifsud, who up to last June had co-hosted the TVAM morning show, made their opinions public on a variety of subjects.

The Guidelines on the Obligation of Due Impartiality, which was drafted by PBS, lays down the ‘rules’ for “presenters and reporters primarily associated with the Public Service Broadcaster”. It states that presenters and reporters must be seen to be impartial and should protect their impartiality through external activities. “It is consequently important that those associated with news and current affairs do not engage in off-air activities that can lead to any doubt about their objectivity on air and to what is transmitted. Some activities may tarnish one’s reputation for impartiality and consequently also damage the reputation of PBS for impartiality.”

According to the code of ethics these activities include expressing public support for a political party or expressing views or lobbying in favour of or against a policy which is a matter of current party political debate or a matter of public or industrial controversy.

It is also not acceptable to publicly demand a change in high profile public policy. Presenters “ought not to regularly write or participate in public debate on issues of current affairs or politics, economics, business or finance or matters of public policy, political or industrial controversy. External activities also include letters to the editor, articles published in newspapers, online blogging, posting of remarks or opinions online, participating in public debates, fronting a campaign and similar activities whether made online or not.”

The Subsidiary Legislation 350.14 on “Requirements as to the standards and practice applicable to news bulletins and current affairs programmes” lays down similar guidelines to the PBS code of ethics.

According to the Broadcasting Authority chief Pierre Cassar, there seems to be no breach of ethics when it comes to the Broadcasting Act. Replying to questions from this paper, Mr Cassar said: “There is no provision in the Act that makes the Broadcasting Authority responsible for the choice of current affairs programmes’ presenters. The stations have the prerogative.”