Updated: PBS accuses PL of manipulating information
The Labour Party was manipulating information given in Parliament in an unacceptable way, PBS said this afternoon.
It was replying to claims made earlier by PL spokesman Gino Cauchi who told a news conference that public broadcasting was putting the Labour Party at a disadvantage, as confirmed by official information given in Parliament by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and Minister Dolores Cristina.
Mr Cauchi said that between October last year and April, there were 86 programmes on PBS for which ministers, parliamentary secretaries and PN officials were invited. On the other hand, there were only 53 programmes for which Labour MPs were invited.
He said that between October last year and May, there were 26 news bulletins which included comments from the Prime Minister and only 18 in which the leader of the opposition commented. In the same period, there were 97 services which included comments from ministers or parliamentary secretary but only 10 which included comments from Opposition MPs.
The biggest discrepancies, Mr Cauchi said, were registered in the first three months of this year when the possibility of an early election was being mentioned.
In its reply, PBS said that between January and May this year, the leader of the Opposition leader appeared in 107 news items, 16 times more than the Prime Minister.
Broadcasting Authority statistics showed that in 1997, the full year of the Labour government, TVM had an average of 183 stories a month featuring the Labour government when there were now an average of 34.
The Labour Party, PBS said, was manipulating the information given by the Prime Minister and Mrs Cristina.
For the information requested was how many times had MPs appeared on PBS programmes. These figures did not include the representatives the PL sent who were not MPs.
Giving an example, PBS said Xarabank invited PL deputy leader Anglu Farrugia but the party sent a candidate instead of him. But according to how the PL, it was not represented during the programme.
The station said that the PL campaign against PBS did not have anything to do with balance but was being carried out because the national station was seeing an increase in viewership which was badly affecting advertising on the PL’s station.
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Renald Borg
Jun 16th 2012, 23:11
So Bondi+ suddenly bringing on the teachers to discuss how little they work as a fake controversy, when there was the controversy about how consultants at Mater Dei work 3 hours only.A last minute deal which the person responsible was forced to sign right before the last election.
You think that is not pushing GonziPN agenda?Come on how dumb do you think the Maltese people are?
Renald Borg
Jun 16th 2012, 23:04
Never understood the argument "u ara xkontu tamlu intom"...Well for starters the party is not the people it's the party.
Secondly: I wasn't around 30 years ago so I need not apologize for anything.
Thirdly:Can the PN stop using a labour government of 30 years ago as their yard stick for how good they are?They do not realize how silly they sound to an educated young voter when they compare the current government to what Mintoff did.Of course not to say that an uneducated young voter wouldn't be satisfied "ehh ax mintoff kin jamel ekk mela dawk dejjem hziena"
John Zammit
Jun 16th 2012, 11:41
If in the 1997 was wrong it is wrong also now. So why not change the name officially to NET 2
VINCENT WILLIAMS
Jun 16th 2012, 10:43
Without any doubt PBS is the shadow of Gonzi Partit Negattiv. The news selected to be aired and the news let out by PBS are a solid proof that PBS is the right hand of the Government of GonziPN. The Labour Shadow Minister should shadow PBS daily and give a weekly press conference and criticize the bias news and political programmes against the PL. Without any doubt the Labour Shadow Minister will find a lot to criticise PBS's political hidden agenda. Also the PL should go to court if the situation remains the same.
Tonio Micallef
Jun 16th 2012, 08:57
We don't need government statistics to confirm the bias against the labour party in state broadcasting. Pbs news has become to resemble the Pravda in the communist era, government propaganda all the way. It has become a norm to view at least 4 and 5 ministers in a every tvm news bullettin some of them in really puerile news items with no news value at all. On the other hand the labour party is given a very rough treatment, it's news items are sandwiched and butchered regularly. The bias against is evident in all programmes from morning till night!
Lawrence Fenech
Jun 16th 2012, 04:36
PBS you have to do better than this to be credible, the maltese TV viewers are no fools there is an imbalance on every TV station owned by the state.
Joanne Camilleri
Jun 15th 2012, 22:40
There is no denial that media plays a very significant role in making the world smaller,however, when it comes to Malta it's no news that the PBS has been honoring the PN And make the PL look even much smaller! The PBS has a huge responsibility of conveying the truth and relevant information to the common man, what is the PM going to do in such situation?
Malcolm Farrugia
Jun 15th 2012, 22:17
It is quite obvious that PBS is moving forward GonziPn's agenda!
Peppi Borg
Jun 15th 2012, 22:04
As usual when statistics do not appease gonzipn they try to hide it. One does not need to be a media expert to relise that PBS is biased and now it was confirmed through a parliamentary question.One wonders how much this bias would be greater once the electoral campaign kicks off! .This discrepancy is even evident on radio programmes aired on pbs and the morning show on tv where a daily procession of ministers and parliamentary secretaries takes place. Is Gonzi with his firm hands going to allow all this?
lilly vella
Jun 15th 2012, 22:01
tvm. jiftah b pierre potelli ikompli bil prattikament kandidata claudette , ikompli b pure , xi xarabank ta peppi u xi bondi plus , biex torqod bil hsieb nazzjonalist ...immaginaw fil pajjiz x ikun hawn kieku filghodu jiftah tvm b manuel cuschieri , ikompli warajh , joe mifsud , filghaxijja kalamita u bil lejl , is sbejha miriam dalli , kieku jkun hawn min jintrabat bil ktajjen ,ihaffer il kanali ta dmuh lejl u nhar ,u tixwix galor. hudu pacenzja sinjuri nazzjonalisti tal ispaga tal apologijja nazzjonalista u hudu break.
M Grima
Jun 15th 2012, 22:01
The PN is playing their usual dirty game,. When they do not like the statistics they try to pin them on somebody else, yet when they are in their favour they immediately take credit. As to PBS, which is almost entirely made up of ex Net TV employees, please remember that your salaries are paid from everyone's taxes and that means that you have to balance your act and not to a Net TV 2 and now with another channel, Net TV 3
Joe Tabone
Jun 15th 2012, 21:53
The PBS statement confirms the PL mud-slinging. Another example why LABOUR cannot be trusted in Government, NO credibility.
R Axisa
Jun 15th 2012, 21:53
Lil dawk kollha li jaccettaw sitwazzjonijiet bhal dawn, ghas-semplici raguni li fil-passat sar hekk - jiddispjacini nghid li baqghu imwahhlin mal-passat u m'aggornawx maz-zminijiet - u allura jikkonfermaw li dak li qed isir huwa hazin. Jekk sar hazin fil-passat, mhix raguni li jsir l-istess illum il-gurnata.
Tommy Vella
Jun 16th 2012, 08:02
Għandek raġun f'li qed tgħid. Żball wieħed għandek:
"fil-passat sar hekk" trid tiġi "fil-passat sar ħafna ħafna agħar minn hekk"
Illum il-PL għandu stazzjon liċenzjat biex ixandar l-veduti tiegħu. Qabel, biex il-PN isemma' leħnu kellu jikser il-liġi.
Illum il-kap tal-opożizzjoni jidher fi programmi, jiġi kwotat, jinqraw l-istqarrijiet tiegħu. Qabel lill-kap tal-opożizzojoni anqas biex ma jsemmu ismu kienu.
Joseph E Briffa
Jun 15th 2012, 21:24
Gino Cauchi has a nerve, not that it's surprising. It's a good thing PBS invariably reports what members of the opposition blurt out which most of the times is hardly of any news value. At least, this shows the pathetic state of a number of the opposition speakers who think they should make the headlines whenever they open their mouth.. .Simply pathetic.
Joseph Camilleri
Jun 15th 2012, 21:01
Il Lejber veru partit MA JAFX JISTHI! Mela sewwa... fl'1991, il PN firex it tapit l'ahmar u il lejber inghata licenzja sabiex jibda jxandar l'istazzjon politiku tieghu... u dan bis-sahha tal PN.
Fl'1997, il Lejber fil gvern, MA HALLIEX LIN NET TV ixxandar, u qas inghata licenzja! Kellu jxandar bl'isem ta Awguri TV fuq is systema tal cable BISS!!! Ghax licenzja sabiex ixandar nazzjonali il gvern tal lejber ta Alfred Sant ma tahx!!
Qabel 1987, fi zmien it dittatorjat ta Mintoff, il PBS kien l'istazzjon tal partit Laburista, minkejja li nofs Malta Nazzjonalista, jew aktar, XORTA KELLHOM IHALLSU IT TAXXA tat televizzjoni sabiex jaraw il valenu li kien ixandar il PBS!!
GINO U IL PARTIT TIEGHEK, ISTHU JEKK TAFU, ISTHU!
Illum, hlief Laburisti ma hemmx fux ix Xandir, jigifieri, Television Malta!!! DEJJEM TEQIRDU INTOM! Mur gibkom fil gvern! TVM jibdel ismu, u jigi Super Two!
ALL HARES TKUNU FIL GVERN INTOM GINO, ALLA HARES!!
Jekk iva imma, XORTA niehu gost, sabiex dawk li se jivvottaw lejber, just for the sake of change u jigdmu imnehirom sabiex jinku lil wiccom, jindunaw THAT THEY HAVE BEEN HAVING IT WAAAAY TOO good under the PN government!
I do like change, however when I CHANGE I CHANGE FOR THE BETTER, not to go worse!!!
pat muscat
Jun 15th 2012, 20:56
One does not need a high IQ to recognize that PBS, especially PBS News is day in day out giving a helping hand to GonziPN. Even the headlines are the same! The accusation by PBS is nothing but insult to injury!
Saviour Fenech
Jun 15th 2012, 22:39
The time of Xandir (or Dardir) Malta and of 'Bongu Malta Socjalista', Run Rabbit Run; Red MLP scarfs at the opening of transmission, Varist Bartolo as Head of News, no name for the Leader of the Oposition, transmission of MLP meeting sand twisting of facts in the news bulettin and many other obscene actions when MLP controlled the state media. this is where one needs a high IQ to recognize the state TV. Perhaps you were not even born, Ms Muscat,, and if you were born, what a short memory you possess.
John Borg
Jun 15th 2012, 20:46
In its reply, PBS said that between January and May this year, the leader of the Opposition leader appeared in 107 news items, 16 times more than the Prime Minister. Fair enough. If the leader of the opposition featured on more news items it means that his acivities were more newswaorthy than those of the Prime Minister and PBS did the right thing.
The issue here are the current affairs programmes like Xarabank, Bondi + TVAM and Sellili where the answer given by the Prime Minister revealed the imbalance against Labour. And it is not just the balance in the presence of the two political parties. It is the blatant anti labour bias.
Mr Gino Cauchi was correct in all the statements he made and the Labour Party must be more vigilant about our National broadcasting station morphing into NET TV 2.
This is not a question of viewership. This is a question of the political bias of PBS who revokes the situation in 1997. Why not remember also the undemocratic attitude taken by TVM in the sixties
Joseph M. Grech.
Jun 15th 2012, 20:19
l-MLP/PL ghad ghandu l-istess moħħ maħmuġ tas-70 u t-80 allura ghadu jahseb u jirraguna bl-istess mod.
Ma tiskanta xejn ghax ghad hemm hafna mill-istess nies fil-parlament.
Ta' min joqghod attent ghal dawn l-indikazzjonijiet biex wara ma joqghodx jigdem idu u jghid x'ghamilt b'idejja!
Angelo Vassallo
Jun 15th 2012, 19:08
ONOREVOLI MEMBRU TAL-PARLAMENT MALTI SUR GINO CAUCHI - INTI BIS-SERJETA`?
MELA MA TAFX LI MIN M'GHANDU L-EBDA DNUB, JITFA L-EWWEL GEBLA? INTI ZGUR MA TISTAX TITFA L-EWWEL GEBLA
MELA MA TAFX LI KULL MIN JGHOLLI IDU GHANDU XI JXOMM? RIHA TINTENN TAL-PASSAT
Nieqaf hawn ghax kull kumment iehor min ghandi huwa pjuttost superfluwu.
francis x caruana
Jun 15th 2012, 19:01
Facts speak for themselves PPS. ITS USELESS you try and twist facts and figures. Lot of us know by now what's going on at the public station and by whom it is run. This station paid by our tax money is just a voice for the pn.
John Borg
Jun 15th 2012, 19:17
Sur Caruana. Veru qatt ma rajt xandir fi zmien il-lejber biex titkellem hekk. Daqs kemm jidhru l-aburisti fuq il-pbs, u dejjem jeqirdu li ma jgibuhomx! veru l-fatti jitkellmu wahedhom!
John Borg
Jun 15th 2012, 18:51
Il-PL tejatrini biss. Paroli bla sustanza. L-awotira tax-xandir qatt ma taghthom ragun imma l-lejber hekk. Jew kif jghid hu jew xejn.
John Borg
Jun 15th 2012, 20:48
Iccekkja sew Sur Borg. Iccensuraw lill-Lou Bondi kemm il-darba u gibdu ukoll l-attenzjoni tal-PBS ghal dawn in-nuqqasijiet kontra il-Partit Laburista
Joe Tabone
Jun 15th 2012, 18:26
The PL have all the legal tools to remedy the situation, but they are more interested in mud slinging. They continue to lose credibility by the day!!
joseph saliba
Jun 15th 2012, 18:23
Din żgur ċajta aktar goffa minn dik meta l-PN talab li jxandar taħt gvern Laburista.
John Borg
Jun 15th 2012, 18:11
Gino Cauchi is the last person who can speak about broadcasting. he worked at PBS at a time when news was just about labour.. and labour did nothing but a mess between 1996 and 1998. If you ask me when I last saw the prime minister on TVM news I would have to think hard. Alfred Sant used to be in three or four items a day, not to mention all the other ministers, including the ones bla portafoll.
And what's the complaint about seeing ministers in the news when they announce policies? Who is in government, Labour or PN? How does labour expect to be in the news all the time. The problem is that they actually are. i see items about the Malta Labour Party every day on TVM!
Mr Joe Micallef
Jun 15th 2012, 17:55
Synonym for "ma tafx tisthi" - Gino Cauchi
Mr Ernest Vella
Jun 15th 2012, 17:50
@ Gino Cauchi...Jekk il-Kap tal-Oppozizzjoni qatt ma jwiegeb ghal mistoqsijiet li jsirulu mhux tort tal-PBS...Almenu nafu x'ha tkun il-metodu tat-tmexxija taht Gvern Laburista allahares qatt....Jason Micallef u Smash Television...li tal-labour ga sejhulu TVM....epic fail labour...you can do better!!! Ghandu hazin il-Partit Nazzjonalista imma xejn komparabli mal-gvernijiet socjalisti li Joseph Muscat u tant kburi bihom tal-passat.
Ghax kburi bihom Dr.Muscat semmejthom...jekk kburi bihom ifisser li ha juza l-istess stil ta tmexxija...looking forward to see Jason, the Magnificent as PBS Chairman!!! Gino...nispera li terga tibda taqra l-ahbarijiet...taht il-PN tinsiex li kont gurnalist...u qatt ma gergirt!!!
VINCENT WILLIAMS
Jun 15th 2012, 17:42
The biggest political mistake that PL did through the last 24 years is that it never took the Public Broadcasting to Courts whenever there were clear cases that PL was disadvantaged politically. Because of this fact the PN gained politically. On the other hand because the PL did not took any actions in Courts does not mean that the Public Broadcasting was and still is truly independent politically.
Since the 1960's the Public Broadcasting has never been independent politically from the Party in power.
jimi Xerri
Jun 15th 2012, 17:41
What about the private TV, radio stations, and printed media, not to mention blogs, which are simply an extension of One through their talk shows and other.
joseph saliba
Jun 15th 2012, 18:21
Amongst which 2 'independent' newspapers paid by members of the GWU (an apolitical organization) i.e. IT-TORĊA and L-ORIZZONT.
P. Zammit
Jun 15th 2012, 19:55
@J.Saliba ... IT-TORĊA and L-ORIZZONT are independent newspapers who criticize the government ....until PL is elected of course ... then the disastrous economy we have today will become the most advanced in Europe. You are so right !
Marco Farrugia
Jun 15th 2012, 17:16
X inhuma l figuri jekk tnaqqas il hin mohli ghall-kummenti ta franco debono?
Anthony Falzon
Jun 15th 2012, 17:11
DIN TAZZA ILMA GO L'ATLANTIKU HDEJN DAK LI KIEN ISIR FI ZMIEN IL GVERN LABURISTA META LANQAS TA PERMES GHAL STAZJONIJIET PRIVATI.
Please choose the reason of your report below: