Nationalist Party Files Constitutional Lawsuit Against PBS Over Impartiality
· Updated
In brief
- The Nationalist Party has opened constitutional court proceedings against PBS and the Broadcasting Authority.
- The opposition claims the public broadcaster systematically fails to provide balanced coverage.
- Court filings cited presenter Ricky Caruana's external political activity as an example of regulatory failure.
The Nationalist Party has filed a constitutional court application against Public Broadcasting Services and the Broadcasting Authority, alleging persistent political bias in public broadcasting.
In its court application, the opposition argued that PBS routinely fails to uphold its statutory obligation to deliver fair, balanced coverage between the government and the opposition.
The party argued that editorial output and news scheduling heavily favour the governing administration, leaving opposition viewpoints marginalised on national television and radio.
Court filings highlighted the case of presenter Ricky Caruana, citing his external political engagements as evidence that the broadcaster and the regulator fail to enforce basic impartiality rules.
The opposition contends that the Broadcasting Authority has neglected its constitutional duty to supervise public broadcasts and protect viewers from skewed political content.
The lawsuit asks the First Hall of the Civil Court in its constitutional jurisdiction to declare the current broadcasting practices unlawful and to order appropriate regulatory remedies.
The Spin Room
Low media divide. Both outlets reported the court filing consistently, detailing the opposition's legal claims regarding broadcast balance and regulatory oversight.
Updates
- : Updated with reporting from Lovin Malta: the court has agreed to hear the case urgently and scheduled the initial hearing for 15 October.