Super One rapped

The Press Ethics Commission has upheld a complaint made by Parliamentary Secretary George Pullicino against the Super One TV programme Team of July 9.

Mr Pullicino had complained in the way he was portrayed in the programme where it was insinuated that he was protecting the illegal behaviour of a truck owner.

The Commission feels that Mr Pullicino's complaint was justified and the programme should have tackled the issue with more prudence and attention.

The commission yesterday published its verdict which was sent to the complainant and to Charlon Gouder of Team on December 10.

The commission also disapproved of the way in which Team said that Mr Pullicino did not want to comment on or answer questions relating to a delicate subject of public interest and also implying that he had a personal interest in the matter.

The commission said Mr Pullicino had commented in written replies to the questions put to him which were sent to the station before the programme was broadcast.

However, since the programme had already been recorded the programme producers decided not mention this fact.

The commission felt that the fact that the replies solicited from Mr Pullicino had arrived and were to be broadcast in the next programme should have been mentioned in the programme.

The replies were in fact broadcast a week later in the same programme.