The Broadcasting Authority has ordered broadcasting stations to stop election candidates from hosting regular programmes. 

The news was greeted with dismay this afternoon by popular Radio 101 presenter David Thake, who had just started his daily programme when he announced the directive and promptly stopped the show, which was replaced by music. 

Norman Vella, also a candidate, is also being prevented from hosting his TV programme.

The issue comes up for debate within the individual stations in practically every campaign.

In the 2013 campaign, PBS stopped candidates who were standing for the election, impacting especially Claudette Buttigieg.

Net TV and One also used to have policies of keeping candidates off regular programming.

But Net TV reversed its policy this year and allowed candidates such as Mr Thake and Norman Vella to regularly present programmes.

Mr Vella has now also been taken off his daily TV programme.

Another casualty is Nationalist Party candidate Evelyn Vella Brincat, who said she had even been stopped from presenting her radio talk show on pet care.

“My show isn’t even political,” she told the Times of Malta.

The Nationalist Party has objected to the BA decision and is due to present a formal protest tomorrow.