Broadcasting Authority head slams political television stations

Broadcasting Authority chairman Joseph Said Pullicino yesterday expressed disappointment that television stations owned by political parties have been turned into propaganda machines.

"It is a pity that pluralism in Malta has amplified political polarisation; TV stations owned by political parties were, and still are, considered to be propaganda machines. They still fail to understand that it is only in their interest to give a balanced and objective service to people," he said.

During a seminar yesterday evening, the Broadcasting Authority presented findings of a qualitative survey on pluralism in Malta, 10 years after it was introduced.

Marika Fsadni, who conducted the research, identified the positive and negative effects that pluralism has brought about in public broadcasting.

Ms Fsadni took into account a number of considerations: the diversity of programmes and their content, broadcasting standards, the limits and implications of farming out of programmes as well as the role of the Broadcasting Authority and its relevance in society today.

In his opening speech, Chief Justice Emeritus Said Pullicino said everything indicated that the relevance of television in future would depend on the quality of news bulletins and current affairs programmes.

"In this context, the role of the authority should be to ensure that balance and impartiality are observed rigorously," he said.

He said those who considered the authority as an obstacle in a liberalised and competitive market today were questioning the relevance of the Broadcasting Authority in Malta. "Recent experience has shown that the BA plays a vital role in our country's democracy."

This applied especially when it came to ensuring impartiality in public broadcasting. "The authority should not give in to those who are suggesting that Malta can do without independent public broadcasting," he said.

"If this is not ensured, news and current affairs programmes will be monopolised by people with partisan interests or hidden agendas," he said.

The BA chairman said that whatever form the state television station would take after restructuring, the constitutional functions of public broadcasting must be respected.