The Nationalist Party is requesting the right to broadcast a number of political spots on TVM to make amends for what it is describing as the “politically-loaded” Gvern li jisma’public consultation meeting adverts.

The request was made during a public hearing held this afternoon at the Broadcasting Authority offices in Ħamrun, in which the Opposition submitted its arguments on three complaints filed in recent weeks.

PN MP Francis Zammit Dimech argued that these government adverts were not limited to make the public aware of such events, but included messages of political controversy.  “The health sector, is a case in point as the advert highlighted the reduction in waiting lists as being a government achievement,” Dr Zammit Dimech said.

Lawyer Mark Vassallo, who appeared on behalf of TVM, said the state broadcaster was not involved in the content of these adverts. However, he questioned the PN’s consistency on this issue pointing out that the government adverts were even aired on Net Television. He urged the BA to issue guidelines on such adverts to avoid similar controversies in the future.

In his reply Dr Zammit Dimech argued that the PN could have had “commercial” reasons for airing these spots, but he noted that from an editorial perspective Net Television had surely made amends in its various current affairs programmes which questioned government’s policy.

During the meeting the PN also complained on the TVM’s decision not to report a Facebook comment made by former PM Alfred Sant at the height of the Panama Papers scandal last Aprill in which he had said that if he had been in Konrad Mizzi’s place he would have resigned.

While TVM editor Reno Bugeja said that such decision was in line with the station’s editorial policy not to report controversial Facebook comments, lawyer Matthew Paris on the PN’s behalf noted that such policy had been breached a few weeks before when PBS reported comments made by Żurrieq mayor Ingatius Farrugia.

The third PN complaint was about the coverage of a recent court judgment involving a libel suit filed by PN MP Toni Bezzina on some works carried out at the PN club of Żurrieq. According to the party, TVM left out important details in the PN’s statement issued on this judgment. However, Mr Bugeja argued that no reference to such detail was made in the judgment itself.

In these latter two cases, the Opposition is asking for the BA’s decision to be read during the TVM news bulletin.

PL SEES DOUBLE STANDARDS

In a reaction, the Labour Party accused the PN and Simon Busuttil of double standards.

It said that while the PN had objected to the government adverts broadcast on PBS, the same spots were broadcast on Net TV.

What, for the Opposition leader, was good to be broadcast on Net TV against payment, was unsuitable for PBS.

If Dr Busuttil had a problem about the adverts on PBS, he should have used the same yardstick for his own station if he wanted to be taken seriously, the PL said.