The Broadcasting Authority will be suspending the licence of Far Fetched Media Ltd, which operates Family TV, after the station owners allegedly fled the island without paying their debts.

Family TV, launched on April 5, 2008, went off the air on Wednesday.

A spokesman for Melita, through which the channel transmitted its programmes, said it was not receiving content from Family Channel.

The broadcasting regulator said yesterday it was closely following the case. It had not been informed by the licence holder, Far Fetched Media Ltd, of the station's actual position or its future, so it would be taking steps according to law to suspend the licence.

Modern Image Ltd, which was meant to form part of a joint venture with Andrew and Liz Farrugia, the owners of Far Fetched Media Ltd, initiated legal action against the Farrugias to freeze their assets after they could not be traced.

Modern Image, co-owned by Norbert Friggieri, Martin Gauci and US national Steve Hoffmann, claimed Mr Farrugia owed it €36,000. Repeated efforts to contact Mr Farrugia on his mobile and at home were unsuccessful. Sources said the husband and wife, along with their two children, travelled to Sicily by catamaran.

Far Fetched Media's 18 employees turned up for work earlier this week but found the doors locked and editing equipment missing. They have not been paid for the past three months.

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