Changing the people on the board of the Public Broadcasting Services rather than reforming the system will only ensure that the service remained under the government's control, PN MP Therese Comodini Cachia said on Thursday.
"We have already seen how, under the guise of a circular issued by the Broadcasting Authority, the government abused of PBS by usurping primetime for its own partisan political purposes and with the added benefit of not having to broadcast questions raised by journalists.
"The appointment of new members to the board of directors of PBS is not
expected to bring about any change in this respect, she said in a statement.
On Wednesday the government announced a new board, chaired by media expert and University professor Carmen Sammut. The eight members who will serve as directors are Maria Brown, Ray Calleja, Jeremy Camilleri, Engelbert Grech, Albert Marshall, Marthese Portelli, Oliver Scicluna and Adriana Zarb Adami.
In recent comments to Times of Malta about the BA, Sammut said the authority could not remain "a political ping-pong ball".
According to Comodini Cachia, a reform must ensure that the PBS is founded on independence and impartiality.
This includes limiting the use and control of public broadcasting by the government and ensuring fair, precise and impartial news coverage.
It should also fulfil its public service obligation on current affairs and affairs of political controversy, and ensure the public service obligation through programmes for the cultural, social and educational development of society.
"Appointing a board of directors clearly with a majority of people hailing from strong connections with the PL only continues to show how the Labour government is not interested at all in reforming PBS but only in retaining its grasp over it. This is the second opportunity that Prime Minister Robert Abela has missed to bring about meaningful reform at PBS.
"The first missed opportunity came just a few weeks ago with the appointment of a new head of news. It is true that the government has all the discretion it needs to carry out such appointments, but if we were truly to believe Abela’s wish to bring about a reform at PBS then the appointment of a new head of news and of a new board of directors provided him with the best opportunities to do so."
Comodini added that Abela was instead set on continuing in the footsteps of his predecessor Joseph Muscat.