PBS, the state broadcasting company, has officially complained of a breach of ethics by One News in their news bulletin on Thursday on the appointment of a new registered editor, Natalino Fenech.
In a letter sent to Chief Justice Emeritus Ġużeppi Mifsud Bonnici, chairman of the Press Ethics Commission, PBS chief executive Albert Debono said the station had received a set of questions via e-mail about Dr Fenech's appointment on Wednesday at 11.27 a.m. In the news bulletin that same day One News carried an item about the appointment saying their questions had remained unanswered.
The replies, however, were sent the next day at 1.04 p.m. Notwithstanding this, no reference was made to the replies in the news bulletin on Thursday evening even though the TV station gave extensive coverage to a press conference by Labour leader Alfred Sant on Dr Fenech's appointment that same day. Mr Debono said this was a clear breach of ethics.