The Broadcasting Authority has imposed a Lm3,000 fine on Public Broadcasting Services Ltd for failing to obey an authority directive to broadcast Malta Labour Party spots as a remedy to spots by the Malta-EU Information Centre.

In a statement, the BA said that PBS would still be bound to follow the directive issued on June 6.

The authority also reserved the right to take further action against PBS Ltd in case of continued non-observance of the directive through other sanctions according to law, including the issuing of other charges and the temporary closing down of transmissions.

After the BA discussed the charges against PBS Ltd and fining the station, it also ordered that the decision would be read out in the main news bulletins by today.

The fine is to be paid within six weeks.

Replying to the charges by the BA during a sitting of the BA yesterday, PBS Ltd chief executive Andrew Psaila said the station was contesting the BA directive in a court case against the authority.

And in order not to prejudice the case, the station representatives did not wish to reply to the BA charges against it.

In its decision the BA said that the merits of the case were not such that they imposed on it an obligation to wait for the outcome of the court case instituted by PBS against the BA. In no way would the defence by PBS to the charge by the BA chief executive prejudice the court case.

The BA also decided that the failure by PBS Ltd to obey its directive constituted a breach of article 13 of the Broadcasting Act, Chapter 350, and as such was sanctionable in terms of article 41 of the same law.

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