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Tuesday, December 16, 2008, 14:15

PBS denies censoring Glenn Bedingfield

PBS has denied censoring Glenn Bedingfield who earlier today called on the station to revoke its decision to "censor" an interview with him which had to be broadcast this evening during the programme Reporter.

He also asked the Broadcasting Authority to see that the programme was broadcast as scheduled.

Mr Bedingfield said that the interview was censored on the excuse that PBS did not have a policy on candidates for the European Parliament candidates.

But PBS said it wanted to ensure that all current and prospective MEPs were given equal treatment when it came to air time in its programmes. Since Mr Bedingfield was an MEP and a candidate for the forthcoming elections, PBS last week informed the producer of Reporter that he could not interview Mr Bedingfield. It was not PBS's fault that the independent producer forged ahead with the interview.

"Mr Bedingfield is incorrect when he says he is being censored by PBS.

"He has appeared twice in the past six weeks, where he was interviewed alone for twelve whole minutes in our own programme dealing with EU issues while three weeks ago he participated in a discussion with Simon Busuttil in the same program.

"He has also featured and was interviewed in the news when he was elected MEP on October 24," the station said.

Mr Bedingfield said in the morning he had given the interview in his capacity as MEP and in it he criticised the government for the way it treated patients who were waiting on the waiting list for an operation when the lists were getting longer and in some instances had even gone over the 1,000 mark.

He also criticised the government for making drivers pay VAT twice when buying second hand cars from EU member states.

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12 Comments

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m.psaila

Dec 16th 2008, 16:24

If there is still no policy on MEP candidates then this is no case of censorship but correctness..and it applies to all MEPs be they PN, Labour or AD

c.camilleri

Dec 16th 2008, 15:57

It is nice to hear what this converted guy has to say on EU now that he is on its payroll.

Joe Vella

Dec 16th 2008, 15:46

@ Marvin Debono

The Elections could be months away as you stated, but al least three political parties have already chosen all/some of their canditates. Programs like Reporter that offer the participant total audience caption. I am sure that now the PBS have raised the flag, Programs like Xarabank will be more careful whom to invite on the program.

Charles Sammut

Dec 16th 2008, 15:36

This smacks too much of two weights and two measures.

Before the EU referendum a certain MEP (PN) hogged the airtime extolling the benefits of joining the EU. Of course he knew all along "what his interests were" and he was right about those benefits: for him that is.

The wheel certainly has gone full circle in 20 years.

Malvin Debono

Dec 16th 2008, 15:24

@Joe Vella

Fair point. However whilst the principle of a level playing field has always been insisted upon in programmes like Xarabank and others, Reporter has usually interviewed people individually and the fact that they were politicians has never been an issue. The elections are still months away so I don't see why he should be censored, especially when the comments regard issues of national interest and not his work in the EP.

Stephen Zammit

Dec 16th 2008, 15:24

@ G Farrugia

of course PBS should feature MEP Simon Busuttil's overwhelming approval, in favour of SMEs suffereing misleading advertising abuses!!!

PBS should be issue oriented and not personality oriented. That is why Busuttil 's achievement today should feature on PBS, irrispective of whether Bedingfield's interview should feature or not!

Joe Vella

Dec 16th 2008, 14:45

@ Malvin Debono

It is very healthy that many are discovering and recognising that in Malta we have freedom os speech. it wasn't long ago that Press Buildings were ransacked and burned.

On to a different point now, perhaps that the political parties have started to choose candidates for the MEP Elections in June, don't you think it is fair and appropriate on behalf of the PBS not to give anyone an advantage. The question here is not one of freedom of speech, but rather of equal time to all candidates.

Marco Micallef

Dec 16th 2008, 14:44

I can't understand why Mr Glenn Bedingfield is arguing.

Lately (in the last five or six weeks) I saw him twice on dot EU, broadcasted weekly on TVM and anchored by Keith Demicoli.

Still, I think its high time for PBS to have a clear policy on incumbent MEP's and candidates interviews on its radio and TV stations.

G.Farrugia

Dec 16th 2008, 14:41

They censor Glenn Bedingfield.. but probably during the 8pm bullettin they will prominently feature Simon Busuttil's EP proposal re Business directories. Two weights two measures.

I dont see why Glenn's interview has been censored, being a new MEP and thus an interview is more than appropriate to get to know his plans and ideas better.

If PBS has no policy on candidates for EP elections, it should not have carried the interview in the first place. Not to mention the disgrace of having a national broadcasting station without a policy just months before an election!!!!

D Zammit

Dec 16th 2008, 14:32

@ Mr Farrugia

Very democratic indeed!! I pity your way of arguing

Malvin Debono

Dec 16th 2008, 14:30

@ J Farrugia

Well I suppose he thinks he's a politician with a view and considering that we have freedom of speech in this country, he is exercising that freedom. I would be more inclined to direct your comment to the PBS who censored a politician simply because IT does not have a policy on MEP's. This is not a question of balance of views especially as Reporter interviews people individually without any trouble in the past.

J Farrugia

Dec 16th 2008, 14:19

who does this guy think he is? first he was against the EU whoeheartedly, now he still think he's on the payroll of l-orizzont!

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PBS denies censoring Glenn Bedingfield

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