The Broadcasting Authority failed to observe its own directive party leaders and deputy leaders should be treated in a similar manner during debates, AD deputy chairman Carmel Cacopardo said.

He said that, last Wednesday, the BA informed AD of its decision on a number of protests AD submitted on January 18.

The BA did not see anything objectionable when, during the debate between the party leaders on Xarabank, AD chairman Michael Briguglio was allotted less time than the PN and PL leaders.

This was notwithstanding that the BA’s directive dated January 16 stated: “The objective of these rules is that in a debate between leaders or deputy leaders of political parties these are treated in a similar manner not only in the permissible time but also in the way they are handled by the presenter.”

The BA also did not consider anything objectionable when on PBS television programmes, AD representatives were only asked to speak for a few minutes and then invited to leave the set.

“In this situation where both the PN and the PL control of a TV station as well as a radio station, the BA,  which is made up of PN and PL nominees, is being an accomplice with PBS in suffocating AD’s voice on public broadcasting,” Mr Cacopardo said.