The Today Public Policy Institute suggested today that the Broadcasting Authority should be merged with the Malta Communications Authority and civil society should have a stronger say in the regulation of broadcasting.

In a conference about innovation in the regulation of broadcasting in Malta, the think tank presented a report where it stresses that the representation of civil society in the regulation of broadcasting should be increased and broadened.

The new Media Authority, regulating telecommunications and broadcasting, should include representatives of private media operators, telecoms operators, the public broadcaster the government, journalists, and experts in media technology and contest,

It says the board should be appointed by the President after open consultation with a parliamentary committee or a Council of State and representatives of civil society instead of solely the prime minister and the leader of the opposition.

The think tank also argues that television stations, regardless of their ownership, should be judged on the basis of their own practice and not in relation to or balanced out by, programmes aired by other television stations.

The report was authored by Clare Vassallo, former chairwoman of PBS, and Petra Caruana Dingli.