The producers of a TV programme on Maltese history hit out at Public Broadcasting Services yesterday for not including the second series in TVM's winter schedule.

Lawyer Mark Fenech and Professor Henry Frendo said the decision by PBS not to include the second series of their programme, L-Istorja minn Wara L-Kwinti (History behind the scenes) meant that the people were being deprived of an important source from which to learn about their nation's history.

But when contacted by The Sunday Times, Professor Dominic Fenech, acting chairman of the PBS editorial board, said the decision was taken after the programme was reviewed on its own merits.

He said the board had difficulties with the programme both in terms of balance and on a technical level. He said that being a historian himself, he would not applaud a decision to deprive the public of historical information. He welcomed history-oriented programmes that were not only balanced but also seen to be balanced.

Dr Fenech and Professor Frendo explained at a press conference that the documentary series was to be made up of 20 episodes that traced Malta's history, and what happened behind the scenes, from the early 1960s to the declaration of the Republic in 1974.

Following several meetings, in April 2005 they submitted an application to PBS. The proposal was accepted and, following some disagreement on the day and time, a compromise was reached to air the programme on Mondays at 6.50 p.m. The first programme went on air on February 12.

The following day PBS programming manager Sylvana Cristina sent them a constructive e-mail in which she complimented the "research and high profile interviews" and also pointed out shortcomings in the production.

But, Dr Fenech said, the following day he was stunned when he received another e-mail containing "negative and destructive" reactions from the editorial board.

The series was broadcast week after week during which time, Dr Fenech said, the public's reaction was "very positive".

Then, at a meeting on April 5, PBS representatives suggested suspending the series for the summer and resuming it in October. This was because viewers had expressed a wish that the programme would he aired at a more appropriate time.

Dr Fenech and Professor Frendo said they were verbally assured that programmes would resume in October. So in May they filed another application, according to the PBS statement of intent, to broadcast the remaining 10 episodes.

But, in a "terse letter" received on September 15, they were informed that the programme had not been shortlisted for the TVM winter schedule.

They now felt that the public deserved an explanation as to why this decision had been taken.

"It's a shame and a crime that, because of pique, this programme has been thrown out. I feel sorry for the public who will be deprived of it," Dr Fenech said, adding that he knew that the programme was not politically biased since no one from the parties budged.

"The population is being denied of its cultural memories," Professor Frendo added.

When contacted for comment Professor Dominic Fenech said that the editorial board evaluated each application on its own merits and selected programmes that, collectively, made a better schedule.

He said that Dr Fenech and Professor Frendo were putting pressure on the editorial board and this suggested they felt their programme had a right over others'.

He added that the programming had been interrupted after the first 10 episodes at the producers' request and PBS had informed them, in writing, that they would not be guaranteed inclusion in the winter schedule for 2006.

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