Updated 5.35pm with TVM reaction -

A Christmas edition of TVM's popular Ħadd Għalik quiz programme was pulled on Sunday following pressure by the Nationalist Party.

The programme was to feature a team composed of Labour and Nationalist MPs battling a team which included pantomime dames.

Programme presenter Angie Laus confirmed that the recorded programme was not being shown following a decision by TVM at the request of the Nationalist Party.

She said on Facebook that the PN MPs - David Agius and Toni Bezzina - had asked not to appear on the programme.

She expressed her regrets to the other participants in the programme - Labour MPs  Clifton Grima and Rosianne Cutajar and the dames.

A programme repeat was shown instead. 

'Shameful decision'

The PBS decision was slammed by Justice and Culture Minister Owen Bonnici, who is responsible for PBS, and Jason Micallef, head of Labour's One TV.

Dr Bonnici said it was customary during Christmastime for MPs to take part in such programmes.

"It is shameful how the Nationalist MPs want to tarnish the sense of national unity during this festive period and even disrupt a programme such as this, which had already been recorded with their participation," he said.

He added that the decision not to air the programme was taken independently by PBS, but it unmasked the Opposition's true face when it spoke about national unity. 

Jason Micallef said that the PBS decision went against a directive of the Broadcasting Authority, which, he said, had decided that the programme could still go ahead.

This, he said, was a very serious case, an illegality, which merited resignations at the state broadcaster.  "This is a very serious case of undermining democracy by the management of the national station," he said. 

PN: Circumstances changed since the recording was made

David Agius and Toni Bezzina, however, said the programme was recorded five weeks ago, and the situation in the country now was completely different.

They said in a statement that while they appreciated the professionalism with which this programme was produced, "in the current extraordinary circumstances the country is going through we felt that the recording of Ħadd Għalik should not be broadcast."

They said Nationalist MPs always took part in such programmes when there was normality in the country but current circumstances were not normal and going ahead with the programme had not been acceptable.

This was being done with no disrespect for the other participants.

TVM explains

TVM denied it had received any directive from the Broadcasting Authority for the programme to go ahead.

It said that what it had been told by the BA was that if the programme went ahead, a caption (a crawl) should say that it was recorded five weeks ago.
This was within the parameters of the law which gave ultimate discretion of the broadcast content on the broadcasting station.  

The Nationalist MPs, however, insisted that the programme be withdrawn. 

PBS said an entertainment programme of this type should be free of controversy. Therefore, in view of the disagreement between the participants and inadequate time to strike a compromise, the decision it had taken was not to broadcast the programme.

Should agreement be reached, the programme would be broadcast on a later date.