Watch: ‘Close Down All Political Party Stations’ – PN’s Radio 101 Co-Founder Lou Bondi
Veteran TV presenter Lou Bondi suggested that political parties should close their TV and radio stations to bolster Malta’s democratic standing and reduce partisanship.
Bondi, a coordinator for the annual State of the Nation survey, made his remarks while presenting the survey’s fourth edition findings at the Verdala Palace.
“There should be an agreement to shut down political party radio and television stations. In the meantime, TVM should function as true state media, independent of the government in power,” the PN’s Radio 101 co-founder said.
“Additionally, parties should be allocated weekly slots on TVM to ensure they have the opportunity to communicate their messages to the public,” Bondi continued, emphasising that these steps could help curb the country’s hyper-partisanship.
In 2021, Lovin Malta and former CEO Chris Peregin initiated a constitutional case challenging a clause in the Broadcasting Act that permits the regulator to refrain from monitoring political party-owned TV stations for impartiality. This clause allows the Broadcasting Authority (BA) to assess impartiality among private TV stations collectively, rather than individually. Consequently, the BA continues to regulate TVM for political impartiality but does not apply the same standards to ONE and NET.
A website, Kaxxaturi.com, was created to detail the case and explain Lovin Malta’s reasons for pursuing it. The case is still ongoing.
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