The Broadcasting Authority said today it was not true it had stopped assessing fairness and impartiality on a number of programmes.

Referring to a statement by the Public Broadcasing Services yesterday in which PBS sharply attacked the authority for two decisions saying these were an attack on the station's editorial independence. and showed that the authority had taken a retrograde step for broadcasting through the assessment of impartiality on one rather than a number of programmes.

In one of the decisions, following a complaint by the Nationalist Party, the BA ordered PBS to give the PN 10 minutes in which to reply to statements made by Dr Franco Debono during Bondi+ of January 10.

Some days ago the authority also ordered PBS to broadcast, during Xarabank, a 15-minute interview with Labour leader Joseph Muscat to reply to what the Prime Minister had said the week before.

The BA said that during the first Xarabank programme, the presenter did not act in line with the Broadcasting Act which stated that when impartiality was to be obtained over more than one programmes, the presenter had to give spectators enough information on who would be taking part in future programmes to ensure balance

The presenter did not mention the leader of the opposition at any stage, he only said that future programmes would incude the participation of protagonists in the matter.

The authority said it reaffirmed its policy to safeguard the right of a station's opinion and its editorial independence. It also reaffirmed its obligations as a regulator to ensure that impartiality was retained as was its duty in line with the Constituion and the Broadcasting Act. It said it would continue to do its duty in the most serious and rigorous manner.