BA upholds PL request for new reply to Net TV item
The Broadcasting Authority has ordered Net television to carry a new reply to a news item it carried in June about the voting methods of Labour MEPs.
The Labour Party complained that it had sought a right of reply as soon as the item was broadcast but it was dissatisfied with the way the reply was broadcast.
The BA said its rules laid down that a reply could not be longer than 180 seconds, it could not include comments by the broadcaster and editing could only take place if the content was offensive or defamatory.
The Authority said the reply sent by the PL fitted its criteria. Although it included comments which could be edited, there was no justification for the criteria not to be respected.
"The Authority cannot accept a situation where a station interprets legal criteria according to its convenience" the BA said.
It therefore upheld the PL complaint and ordered Net to broadcast a new reply.
The issue was over the way MEPs had voted during a debate on the Millenium Development Goals. The reply made it clear that the Labour MEPs were against abortion.
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Ernest Vella
Jul 28th 2010, 23:17
Li tivvotta favour dokument li fih jissemma l-abort jaghmlek favur l-abort. Mhux hekk tfisser forsi l-ghajta "progressivi u moderati" - Zappatero huwa prova ta dan!!! Jiena l-ahbar hekk fhimta, li qablu ma dokument...bla riservi ta xejn....j'alla mhux hekk mela
Helen Attard
Jul 28th 2010, 20:41
Watching One tv now with the Baldacchino Abela with her show Konfini! Funny, funny to say the least, she presents the show, she interviews Qormi mayor but she does not say that she happened to be a judge of what she is "asking" about!!!!! How funny!! Oh how low can we go!!! how sweet of the cluadette of MEP fame to judge, to comment and to interview about and hint us with what she had "judged"!!! hahahaa
sorry..... hahahahaa
michael.seychell
Jul 28th 2010, 16:52
The fact that the final report was approved in toto` - that is without removing the reference to abortion where necessary, this means that those who approved the final report are acepting and confirming that abortion is being used as a tool to control poverty !
michael seychell
Tal-Pieta
Joe Grima
Jul 28th 2010, 18:45
Michael: I know you as a nice guy one who, like me, had hoped that before the bell tolls for us. we would have a last opportuity to vote Labour again. For me the time has come with Joseph. For you it obviously has not and that's your choice so it's OK.with me However I know you as an interesting person with valid comemnts that I may or may not agree with. Now your total oppositon to anything Labour is becoming what I had hoped that neither of us will ever become-- nauseatingly boring., Pull your socks up. Not everything with labour is tip top. Certainly most things withy this Government are not. Begin to see politics for what politics really are, not always from a blinkered PN position.
Charles J. Buttigieg
Jul 28th 2010, 19:56
No you are wrong Mike, an MEP may come across situations where, although they agree with the main body of a resolution disagree on certain items and push for amendments. Many a time the proposed amendments are not accepted by the majority and the respective MEP finds him\herself in a Catch 22 situation as it would be generally detrimental to the beneficiaries if he\she votes negatively. In a situation like that an MEP would vote ‘Yes’ and register his\her objection to the respective item or clause.
Mike, your resent for the PL is so strong that you would clutch on to any opportunity to demonise your former friends at MLP and GWU brothers because of a past bitter experience. That can’t be right; you make a point based on logic not on ill feelings towards your political opponent.
Enzo Caruana
Jul 29th 2010, 00:31
Mr Seychell
Do you know that the European Union approves funds for abortions in third world countries and that these funds are approved by the European Council of which Prime Minister Gonzi is a voter member and he has approved these funds.
Please check your facts and answer me