The chairperson of the Broadcasting Authority has turned full circle and has now allowed the Nationalist Party to submit its three minute right of reply to the Dissett programme, featuring the Panama scandal.

In a statement, the PN recalled that after comments made by Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi on Dissett, the BA had awarded it three minutes for a reply.  

After the PN submitted its text, the chairwoman said it was being rejected, citing legal reasons, and the Panama scandal could not be mentioned in an amended text.

The PN had warned it was prepared to take the case to court, but the Broadcasting Authority today told the party that it could submit its (original) reply. 

The PN said this case showed the amateurish way how the BA was being run and the way how the Labour government was trying to weaken the institutions which were meant to be independent.

BA REACTION

The Broadcasting Authority in a reaction said that after the PN sent in its reply for broadcast, it warned it that there could be legal consequences and an imbalance could also be created since the original Dissett was primarily aimed for questions to be made to the minister about the Panama case. 

The Authority insisted it did not want to gag anyone and it had therefore written back to the PN telling it that if it was insisting on its original reply, it could go ahead as long as it assumed legal responsibility The Authority reserved the right to act if it felt that an imbalance was created.