The Broadcasting Authority today took action and stopped a Government TV spot which was broadcast yesterday immediately after Simon Busuttil's reply to the Budget speech, this newsroom can reveal.

 Sources close to Government have leaked to this newsroom the contents of a letter sent to PBS by the Broadcasting Authority in which it gives clear orders not to broadcast the Government's spot again "in the format" it was aired yesterday. The spot was intended to reply to the criticism levelled by the leader of the Opposition towards Government's economic performance. However, the Broadcasting Authority felt that the format used by the producers of the spot resulted in non-factual information disseminated on the public broadcasting station. 

Ironically, it wasn't the PN that filed the complaint regarding the TV spot but the BA felt it should take immediate action on its own merit.

This is not the first time the Broadcasting Authority had to stop a TV spot which did not give factual information to the public. Under the previous administration the BA had stopped a TV campaign produced by the Ministry for Health.