Church-owned radio station RTK has been ordered to pay €6,410 after show host Andrew Azzopardi said he would never allow "racist" Norman Lowell on his show.

Lowell is the leader of the right-wing Imperium Europa political party. In 2013 an appeals court confirmed a Magistrates' Court judgement finding Lowell guilty of three charges of inciting racial hatred.

Azzopardi's description of Lowell was made as he interviewed the CEO of the Broadcasting Authority, Joanna Spiteri, about the BA's rules on fairness last October.

Azzopardi, a university professor, had questioned how the BA could order him to invite candidates such as Lowell onto his show.

He said he would never give Lowell air time.

Josiah Vella, Secretary of Imperium Europa, immediately filed a complaint against Azzopardi, complaining that Azzopardi had breached impartiality rules and was censoring Lowell. He also argued that Azzopardi's comments amounted to a threat against the BA. 

Communications between both sides failed to reach a settlement and the matter was discussed within the Broadcasting Authority. 

The BA's CEO, Joanna Spiteri, told the board that she believed some of the comments made by Azzopardi breached the authority's rules. She described Azzopardi's comments about refusing to allow Lowell on the programme even if ordered to by the regulator as threatening.

Spiteri also noted that Azzopardi had already previously breached a BA directive before the 2022 elections. 

The BA board heard all the parties in the matter, including Lowell himself, who said he was after justice, not fines.

RTK's legal representative said that despite the presenter's declaration, the radio station's doors were not closed to Imperium Europa and it was not censoring the party. He pointed to instances where its representatives were invited to programmes. He also presented court judgements involving Norman Lowell.

The BA board ruled that Azzopardi had overstepped the limit and breached article 34 (1) of the Broadcasting Act, which forbids "unjust or unfair treatment."

The radio show host could have made his point without mentioning any names, it noted. Furthermore, RTK had not distanced itself from those comments, even though it ultimately remained responsible for all content. 

As a result, the board fined RTK €1,750 for the offence, which also triggered a previously suspended fine of €4,660. 

The latter fine was issued in 2022 after Azzopardi aired comments by PN leader Bernard Grech on air on election day, in breach of broadcasting rules. 

As a result, the radio station was ordered to pay a total fine of €6,410. 

Correction January 24, 2024: A previous version stated that RTK was fined because of Azzopardi's description of Lowell as racist, rather than because he said he would not be allowed on air.