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Update 2: Lou Bondi' says BA decision 'completely unfair'

The Broadcasting Authority has fined PBS €1,164 after finding that the March 8 edition of Bondiplus broke political impartiality rules.

The decision was slammed by programme presenter Lou Bondi', who said it was 'completely unfair'.

The Authority said it had acted upon a charge made by its own CEO.

It said the programme was about the government's activity in the two years of this legislature. The only guest was deputy Prime Minister Tonio Borg.

A substantial part of the programme consisted of features on projects, programmes and initiatives launched by the government.

"In the opinion of the authority, these features were nothing other than promotion of government activity, with no effort having been made at critical analysis" the BA said.

During the interview with Dr Borg, the presenter raised some points of criticism, the authority said, but this was only a feeble attempt to establish some sort of balance and did not balance out the features and the lack of participation by people of different views.

In a reaction, Mr Bondi' said this decision was 'completely unfair'.

"38 per cent of the programme was about the problems of the PN backbench. During the programme I asked a total of 26 hard hitting questions to Minister Tonio Borg and the features on what the government accomplished during the first two years of office were purely and totally factual. It is also worth pointing out that the Labour Party itself did not complain about his programme to the Broadcasting Authority," Mr Bondi' said.

This, he said 'would not stop here.'

PBS TO GO TO COURT

A spokesman for PBS said the state broadcaster would be seeking a judicial review of the BA decision and was considering taking the case to the Constitutional Court.

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Joe Fenech

Apr 8th 2010, 17:45

The problem with Italy is the Berlusconi has hijacked the media. He should not possess any TV stations while a president.

Yes, unfortunately TVM is the government's station. Even under Mintoff we were able to watch impartial programmes like Malta U Lil Hinn Minna...

Today Malta lives a sad reality of censorship and subtle dictatorship . it is also an a ecclesiastical state. Shame on Gonzi and regime!

B Galea

Apr 8th 2010, 11:24

Bias and untruth are two different beasts, Mr Bondi. Arguing "nothing I said was untrue, and therefore I wasn't biased" is a straw man argument.

We might be tossers, but to your evident dismay, we ain't no fools.

Jessica Borg

Apr 9th 2010, 11:57

When you speak to PN people you are clearly calmer and more polite than when you speak to MLP guys. Even my 5 year old son noticed that. You should be a politician not an supposedly 'impartial' tv presenter. Leave the task to Rachel at least.

Ron Saliba

Apr 7th 2010, 16:19

Read Again, he said Quote 'a fact uttered by a politician '. Stop playing the 'PN" game.

lgalea

Apr 7th 2010, 17:03

Is it a fact because it is uttered by the PM?
The same as the guarantee he gave to the Dockyard workers prior to the last election?
The same as cousin Agostino Pio Lou?

J Tabone

Apr 7th 2010, 19:14

1. Irrelevant
2. 100% of Rachel's features were pure government propoganda, worse than a NET TV feature. I thought I was living in heaven for a moment. That is the problem LOU! You were only attacking the backbenchers but never at any point in time
3. Other programmes aired on PBS (Dissett ?) are balanced and well researched. I enjoy watching both Muscat and Gonzi hammered in these programs (as a good journalist should do).

Remember that you are being aired on the National Station, not NET TV!

"We will see will laugh last." Typical Bondi's arrogance and bullying at its best.

B Galea

Apr 8th 2010, 10:23

Please Mr Bondi,

Spare us the trouble and yourself the blushes. I felt embarrassed for you when I saw the edition in question. Sycophantic doesn't even begin to describe your 'performance'.

You used to be a half-decent journalist, once upon a time. But perhaps you've tired - certainly not mellowed - with age, and can't be bothered to even put up a veil of impartiality any more.

Either way, you've lost just about all the credibility you once had as a serious journalist. PL fanatics have always called you a party hack, but floating voters such as myself used to consider you an informed, erudite source. Used to.

r.camilleri

Apr 8th 2010, 13:23

@j.martinelli:
quote:"you have to know that when a government minister is questioned by lou bondi, his/her response is usually ready given, even if in politics, tinting one's answer is expected".
could it be that government ministers know the questions coming?

Peter Korsten

Apr 9th 2010, 09:02

@J. Martinelli: rubbish. Communication is only 7% or 8% the words being spoken; the rest is the intonation and the body language. So I'm actually missing very little of the gist of the whole thing.

Whether the answer is evasive or not is useless. First off, I'm yet to see the first politician in any country and any political colour to give the answer you like. Given Lou Bondi's well-known allegiance, it is not unreasonable to presume that either the questions with PN members have been rehearsed before, or that they're not nearly as 'hard-hitting' as he claims they are.

Victor Laiviera

Apr 7th 2010, 13:09

Not exactly, Mr Korsten. Lou Bondi is not being fined for having "strong political opinions". The fine is for broadcasting highly biased and partisan programms on the national station, which is supposed to provide the people with impartial and factual information.

Peter Korsten

Apr 9th 2010, 09:12

Why yes, I understand that: that's why there is a smiley at the end of the first sentence.

Joe Cassar

Apr 7th 2010, 13:11

"a challenging but balanced style."?? You are joking, right?

C. Azzopardi

Apr 7th 2010, 12:09

I suggest you watch his last programmes before the next general election to see how "neutral", "investigative" and might I add "creative" he can get. Where's his programme on Enemalta's latest blunders???

T Camilleri

Apr 7th 2010, 17:11

C. Azzopardi or on the water and electricity tariffs, the Fairmount saga, the €4 MILLION COMMISSION, why the law was changed to allow BWSC to win the tender with the most polluting plant, all MEPA's controversial decisions and a lot of others that he and the other prominent presenter do not want to touch with a barge pole.

C.Borg

Apr 7th 2010, 11:59

jien nahseb kien jaghmel aktar min gimgha! u kien jkollu ragun!!!! xi hadd jrid jitkellem fuq dil medjokrita ta pajjiz! xbajna naraw kollox ghaddej!

A.Rapa

Apr 7th 2010, 11:49

It's not anyones fault that L.Bondi is more than a pro gov than a pro PL. He is a bright and intelligent popular journalist/personality and no one can neglect that. Probably, Joe Muscat himself would have been a good competitor should he have not chosen to go from journalism to politics.

stephen c sammut

Apr 7th 2010, 11:26

Jekk tara il-programmi ta bondi suppost ilek li indunajt il-fejn ixaqleb, jekk stieden darba lill JM wahdu il-gimgha l-ohra kien hemm drabi ohra fejn stieden lill-prim ministru wahdu, ftit tal gimghat ilu kien hemm Fr Joe Borg wahdu fuq il- programm, fejn ma seta imerieh hadd, kullhadd jaf ma liema naha ixaqleb dan il qassis. Infakkrek li din il-propoganda favur il-gvern qed issir fuq stazzjon ta l-istat imhallas minn but kulhadd u mhux minn nazzjonalisti u go pajjiz li suppost niftahru kemm ahna demokratici.

A.Rapa

Apr 7th 2010, 11:44

Insejtu iz zmien meta konna naraw l-emblema tal labor party u it torca fuq it TVM ? things have changed and a lot since that time of Mintoff's reign and dictatorial ideas.

Antoine Vella

Apr 7th 2010, 11:14

Since this decision is of service to the PL, it is fitting that the money should be forked out by the PL.

E.Borg

Apr 7th 2010, 11:48

Dear Antoine,

Your argument, sir, makes no sense.

Joe Fenech

Apr 8th 2010, 17:50

Dear Antoine - I confirm that your comment makes no sense and it comes out of someone's who sees everything through a blue filter.

What about non PL/PN people? Aren't does entitled to impartiality.

Dennis Debono

Apr 7th 2010, 10:26

.....well actually they are -- if PBS and Bondiplus are a government promotion machine; and the BA is a government shield then BA would not have fined Bondiplus!

Another note is...why was Bondiplus not fined when they decided to extend the time of the program when Tony Zarb decided to enter the program in its closing stages?

I'm starting to think that BA is a PL machine...

M. Spiteri

Apr 7th 2010, 10:29

Dennis Debono please don't be that blunt

Antoine Vella

Apr 7th 2010, 15:19

M.Spiteri
"Dennis Debono please don't be that blunt"

What do you mean, 'blunt'? Actually I think Dennis Debono is quite sharp in his perception.

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