The Nationalist Party has appealed for Public Broadcasting Services (PBS) to reflect an unbiased agenda that does not exclusively reflect the political beliefs of the Labour Party.
Speaking in front of PBS headquarters, PN Spokesperson for the Green Economy and Capital Projects David Thake said that there is a noticeable imbalance between PBS’ coverage of the PL and PN’s political agendas. Most noticeably, the first few stories covered on PBS’ news broadcast are primarily linked to the PL, while PN stories are left at the end.
For the many people who simply tune in to the major headlines on the news, PBS is negating the PN’s voice, Thake continued.
Thake said that the recent €30 million investment in PBS, which will be dispersed over the course of five years, will be coming from the pockets of the general public who, in return, will not receive fair news coverage.
“PBS is a station for everyone”, Thake said, “our country appeals that the funds of everyone are used ethically and invested in everyone’s voices being heard”.
Using PBS’ Mother’s Day Programme last week as an example, Thake said that Prime Minister Robert Abela’s wife was invited to attend the programme, however Opposition Leader Bernard Grech’s wife did not receive an invite.
Thake said that this reflects a biased coverage because only one of the two major Maltese political parties is being represented on PBS.
Thake added that representatives from the government department will often make statements on PBS rather than the official minister in question.
On one hand, Thake said this is reflective of a single political view being represented on PBS, rather than a dual, balanced view. On the other hand, this reflects the nepotistic frame of mind at work in the PL, he continued.
“Many government entities are full of people who are not there because they know more than others, but because they know someone who is in government”, he said.
PBS giving favour to the PL over the PN is in breach of the constitution, he added.
“The constitution talks about a balance in coverage”, he said. “The rationale is that ONE and NET are balanced by each other. Now we are talking about PBS and it should not be an extension of the government”.
“The editorial board of PBS should ensure that its employees work to their capacity to ensure that there is balanced news coverage”, he continued.
Thake was also joined by PN Candidate for the fifth and sixth districts Francince Farrugia at the press conference, who said that there is partisan politics at work in PBS’ broadcasting as it doesn’t represent an unbiased agenda.