Public Broadcasting Services was following orders given by its editorial board in line with the National Broadcasting Policy when it stopped Claudette Buttigieg from presenting her programme Sellili, the station said today in a counter protest against Ms Buttigieg.

Ms Buttigieg, better known by her maiden surname Pace, yesterday filed a judicial protest against PBS for stopping her presenting the programme after confirming her candidature for the general election.

She said that standing on the Nationalist Party’s ticket would not impinge on the quality of her show, which dealt with current affairs and was not political in nature.

PBS said that the board, which had its powers defined by the policy, was not a judicial or quasi-judicial body, and it therefore had no obligation to listen to the different parties.

It was the board which directed PBS to stop Ms Buttiegieg from broadcasting as soon as she announced her candidature.

In view of this, PBS had no choice but to adhere to the direction it was given, the station said.