Updated: PL protests over PBS news coverage
(Adds PBS' reaction)
The Labour Party is protesting about the coverage given in the news bulletin of the Public Broadcasting Services of its news conference about the BWSC, the company which has been given the contract for the new power station in Delimara.
It has asked the station to remedy the situation.
The party yesterday presented the auditor general with the results of investigations carried out by a Danish newspaper, which concluded that the company had used bribery to win contracts in several countries abroad.
The PL said that through its actions, TVM and Radio Malta were trying to mitigate the importance of the party’s conference, which was of national importance.
Contacted for his reaction, PBS editor Natalino Fenech said this was an obvious effort to try and discredit PBS, as surveys were showing that the audiences for its news bullettins were continuously increasing.
Dr Fenech said that PBS covered both what the Leader of the Opposition and the Minister had to say about the power station tender issue.
But it refused to be drawn into any case to further anyone´s arguments.
"It is not clear where, in the opposition's eyes, TVM went wrong.
"From someone who teaches journalism at university, I expect a higher level of professionalism and ethics, at least where media is concerned," Dr Fenech said.
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Chris Farrugia
Nov 29th 2009, 04:26
Here from Oz we get weekly PBS news on SBS on a Sunday. I stopped watching it long ago. It's like going back a good 30 years back. The only stuff they show is the inauguration of some new projects, some festa details and some food gatherings. The more important stuff is completely forgotten. Im sorry to say this, but Dr Fenech should find much comfort in saying that the majority of people watch PBS, cos you can imagine what kind of people bear to watch such programnmes.
A. Mizzi
Nov 28th 2009, 23:02
@c. camilleri
In which era are you living?
If you want to go back, you can go back to the days when the voice of the Labour Party was suppressed by the ringing of bells and interdect.
Let's talk of today, and it is the wish of the Majority that wants unbiased broadcasting and the Majority is certainly not composed of Nationalist or Gonzipn supporters but of LP supporters, Alternativa , A.N. and other Party supporters, free thinkers and just plain Joe Citizen who wants fair and truthful reporting without hidden or not so hidden agendas.
c. camilleri
Nov 28th 2009, 20:07
@ A Mizzi. The labour Party governed Malta against the expressed wish of the majority of the voters for 5 whole yrs. During those five yrs it used the PBS to try and change Malta into a socialist state. At that time we all used to pay taxes to support the National station.
c.camilleri
Nov 28th 2009, 19:47
@ Joseph Micallef. So you stopped watching TVM and continued to watch One TV. A great deal indeed. Continue to listen to gloom and doom to your heart's content. By time i am sure you will be brainwashed to believe that the moon is falling on this little island.
Ian Cassar
Nov 28th 2009, 19:37
Mr Gauci Cunningham
Two wrongs have never made a right, you rightly postulate. However, neither will I accept holier than thou attitudes from people who committed / support(ed) much worse.
Joseph Muscat and your ilk are a bunch of immature attention seekers who cry foul as soon as they start approaching puberty and realise that the world out there is not giving them as much attention as their mummy did back home.
Then some resort to voting PN one year and setting up LGBT sections in the PL the next...grow up.
John Micallef
Nov 28th 2009, 19:16
N Callejja if we have close mind people like this, by fighting back a past of over 25 years as a reaction that happens today, i wonder if you have a computer at home.
Whoever & whenever did this, it is WRONG.
By the way without knowing you are admiting that the PL is right on this one. Thanks, next tiem just vote PL than!
G. Mangion
Nov 28th 2009, 18:44
@ A. Mizzi (58 minutes ago
Are you sure ??? then how come, hehehe dahaqx, Tell us please are not the Nationalists in Gov't thank GOD ?
Anthony Castillo
Nov 28th 2009, 18:34
The MLP forgot when on the PBS the begining of the PBS was BONGU MALTA SOCIALISTA and the name of one of the best politician (for me the best)that ever exist was not permited to be named not even on the news in those BLACK DAYS by his name where now a day we create the(pluralizmu fix xandir)where in those BLACK DAY the traitor calls us that we are crazy.
George Briffa.
Nov 28th 2009, 18:12
How pathetic about the PL. Insejna meta kienu jajtu Malta Socjalista, u Rebha Ohra, in Dec 1981. Lwt me put it straight. I give all my support to PBS. If there are any wrong doings , with PBS (I doubt) I don't care. Don't forget that PN, brought democracy, and wealth. MLP brought only misery. So grow up.
@ Albert Gauci Cunningham:
Please grow up, and stop playing the rebel. I cannot understand why as an ex- PN you critisized A.Sant, but now ur after Muscat. He's far wourse than Sant trust me. I hope that by 3 years time when Dr. Gonzi will be surely reconfirmed as Malta'PM you will be one of the thousands waving the malltese flag with us. When you grow up you will understand that PN is the only future in Malta.
G .Mangion
Nov 28th 2009, 18:09
the mlp are the are so Embarrassed by the way it is run by the top man j.m, " or someone else ? "" mlp Protests on every single bit the Gov't do, even when it is for the good of Malta !
Well done P.B.S no wonder you are the best T.V Station for some long time now, Telespectateurs wants real news's not misleading ones as the one t.v, what heck do mlp, take us for ? Stupids, ????
Ifs and Burt's don't Make news's Value !!! Halluna.....
A. Mizzi
Nov 28th 2009, 17:39
More than 50 per cent of the population do not support the Nationalist Party and they have a right to have uncontrolled press coverage from the NATIONAL station PBS, paid out of their own taxes.
PBS is SUPPOSED to be National and not a Nationalist Party agency.
Alfred Bellia
Nov 28th 2009, 17:01
is the one emanuel zammit the same one who censored the PBS news during its xandir malta standard? If in the affirmativ e, he is the last person who has any right to protest about coverages. If not then I apologise beforehand.
Joe Vella
Nov 28th 2009, 15:25
@ Simon Amato
Keep watching One News. Poor Souls, the Gloom and Doom crowd, doesn't know what is happening around them or what is of importance.
Joe Vella
Nov 28th 2009, 15:22
@ A. Gauci Cunningham
What is more news worthy? The fact that Malta have opened a breast screening centre, a major foreign investment that will create at least 350 high paying jobs or an old news Danish paper report that is many years old?
Shame One News, a because the first two noteworthy items One News didn't give them any prominence. Also, shame on those who sympathized with Joseph Muscat and the PL, since One News is an organ of the PL which Joseph Muscat have a direct say on the content .
The Maltese public knows have their priority straight; certainly not Joseph Muscat, the PL or its' media outlets.
c. camilleri
Nov 28th 2009, 15:14
Some of those below forgot or were too young to remember the days of Pelegrini running the PB
S when the name of the leader the opposition Dr. E.F. Adami was prohibited let alone covering his press conference. You forgot the days of the "run run rabbit run". To say that the PBs is run by the PN one must be livng in outer space. There was never within living memory so much freedom expression as in the present days. To say the opposite one must only be a hypocrite.
E.Muscat
Nov 28th 2009, 15:09
What are you LPists onto about?You have your own radio and TV stations from which you can transmit whatever you like :in days gone by, we had dardir malta trying to turn us into zombies!Journalists like Harold Scorey died of heart attacks:let us not forget!
Muscat. Pat
Nov 28th 2009, 14:55
PBS and TVM are simply acting as gate-keepers.Yet they should not be so partisan since they they receive their salaries from ordinary taxpayers and NOT from the PN.
A.Gauci Cunningham
Nov 28th 2009, 14:02
david Attard---I'm sorry but it is your comments that are incredible!! Incredibly out of synch and time warped!!! I have already commented on another news item on this same vein; two wrongs dont make a right and if there was a PBS ban on the PN and Eddie fenech Adami this was undoubtedly shameful and anti-democractic. Nonetheless this does not abdicate the PN from any responsability it has and neither does it in any way imaginable excuse it or give it the right to trample upon a supposedly partial national broadcaster. Yes it is shameful that PBS only reports what it deems fit, yes it is shameful that the PBS has the audacity to try and water down such allegations by influential, foreign business newspapers. PBS newsroom should, if it wants to give the service it says it gives, get its journalists to do some investigative jouranlism rather then relagating us with more NETism. We might not have DOM Mintoff's picture and the "Bongu Malta Socjalista" but we definitely have a very, very fine and subltle way of trying to strangle all thoughts and opinions that go against the PN. That ,for me, is none the better!!!
P. Bonnici
Nov 28th 2009, 13:56
Folks. Please look forward. Clocks (time) do not work Anti-Clockwise but Clockwise.
Joe Grima
Nov 28th 2009, 13:10
Kabul radio and TV news
simon amato
Nov 28th 2009, 13:10
i agree with the complaint. PBS is similar to NET NEWS.... there is no doubt about it!
albert galea
Nov 28th 2009, 13:04
what do you expect from pbs. it is the voice of the pn, and we pay for this.
david attard
Nov 28th 2009, 12:58
The comments are incredible......Where were you in 'Xandir Malta' days? On the moon?
Radio Moscow.....What a load of hypocrites. What would you say if Dr.Muscat would never be mentioned by name on PBS? These were days where there were no other stations (Radio Moscow?)
Please...put things in their right perspective....
A. Mizzi
Nov 28th 2009, 12:56
Subtle censorship or Press Control?
The People want to know, after all its their money...or taxes.
N.Calleja
Nov 28th 2009, 12:46
Some of those who wrote their comments simply forget the days when a Socialist minister declared that Xandir Malta aimed to make Malta Socjalista! No Nationalist was allowed to work at the station and many well known names were sacked. During that period the station was like Radio Moscow or Pravda under Breschnev or Ceaucescu!! Do you still remember that the Nationalist newspaper had to drop 'Nazzjon' from its name because of the socialist dictat? Do you still remember the Nationalists transmitting from Sicily because they were barred from do so in Malta?
Joseph Micallef
Nov 28th 2009, 12:24
I stopped watching TVM. There are plenty of other stations on air.
J Martinelli
Nov 28th 2009, 12:15
Were questions put by the Press answered in this famous Press Conference?
Funny how Joseph never took one single question by the Press after the Budget speech had just been read in Parliament!
Joseph is too young to remember the days when news items read on PBS did not come from its reporters and staff but directly from Castille!!
Joe Cassar
Nov 28th 2009, 11:54
It is no secret that the PBS newsroom has become just an extension of Net News.
Michael N. Bellia
Nov 28th 2009, 11:41
Hearing the news on PBS these days reminds me of Radio Moscow in the same way that some independent papers tend to remind me of Pravda in its heydays. When experiencing the censoring of certain posts and letters to the editor, one's conviction on this is reinforced.
Emanuel Zammit
Nov 28th 2009, 11:41
I cannot understand or accept such an attitude from our National Station.
This is absolutely ridiculous. They should broadcast what ever is going on and let the people decide for themselves.
Are we ever gonna learn ?