The national broadcasting station said yesterday it was following policy when it stopped Claudette Buttigieg Pace from presenting a TV programme once she announced she would contest the election on behalf of the Nationalist Party.

Replying to a judicial protest filed by Ms Buttigieg Pace, Public Broadcasting Services said it was following orders given by its editorial board in line with the national broadcasting policy.

Ms Buttigieg Pace insists that contesting the election would not impinge on the quality of her show, which dealt with current affairs and was not political in nature.

She said that the editorial board, which had its powers defined by the policy, was not a “judicial or quasi-judicial body” and it therefore had no obligation to listen to the different parties.

However, PBS said that it had no choice but to adhere to the direction it was given by the editorial board.