This case seeks to restore what is rightfully owed to the Opposition and the public – balanced and free broadcasting

Partit Nazzjonalista files a constitutional case against PBS and the Broadcasting Authority over breaches of impartiality obligations and imbalances in public broadcasting

The case filed by Partit Nazzjonalista seeks to restore to the Opposition and the public what is rightfully theirs – balanced and free broadcasting.

This morning, the Partit Nazzjonalista filed a Constitutional Case against the Public Broadcasting Services (PBS) and the Broadcasting Authority over breaches of their obligations. These obligations are enshrined in the Constitution and are supposed to guarantee impartial and balanced public broadcasting.

The case was filed in court by PN Secretary General Charles Bonello, Shadow Minister responsible for Broadcasting Justin Schembri, and the lawyers representing Partit Nazzjonalista – PN MP and lawyer Michael Piccinino, and lawyers David Bonello and Thomas De Martino.

Speaking outside court immediately after the case was filed, Partit Nazzjonalista representatives said that the case centres on two issues – imbalance in public broadcasting by the national broadcaster, and the Broadcasting Authority’s failure to enforce its own previous rulings.

“This case is not about whether the Partit Nazzjonalista likes the way PBS reports the news, but about constitutional and legal obligations of impartiality that are not being upheld.”

They explained that PBS news coverage features a very significant imbalance in sound-on-tape clips – comments recorded on camera. This has been happening for years. The latest figures provided by the Government itself in response to a Parliamentary Question by PN MP Michael Piccinino revealed that, between June 2025 and May 2026, there were 532 sound-on-tape clips featuring members of the Government, compared with just 66 featuring the Opposition – one Opposition clip for every eight Government clips. Similar imbalances occurred in at least three previous years, with the Broadcasting Authority issuing rulings to this effect on three occasions but never enforcing them.

The case also addresses the obvious lack of impartiality among presenters of news and current affairs programmes. It cites TVM presenter Ricky Caruana as an example, noting that he is known to receive payment for advertising for a number of ministers and Government entities that are subsequently represented on his own programmes. He regularly uses his social media to actively promote members of the Government and Labour Party activities, and has even expressed how he intends to vote.

The law governing current affairs programmes and the PBS Code of Ethics establish that the state broadcaster has a strict obligation to maintain full impartiality in political matters, and that this impartiality depends directly on the conduct of its producers and presenters.

The same Code imposes a complete ban on presenters and producers attending political activities. It also states that they must not become involved in political activities or take public positions that could undermine confidence in their impartiality.

Partit Nazzjonalista said it would no longer accept the state broadcaster’s continued imbalances and lack of impartiality in its reporting and among its presenters, and that this is the first step towards rectifying the situation immediately.

Since the Broadcasting Authority has failed to fulfil its obligation to safeguard balanced public broadcasting that allows viewers to form their own opinions freely and without indoctrination, the Partit Nazzjonalista had no alternative but to file this case to reclaim what is rightfully owed to it and to all the people of Malta and Gozo – free and impartial broadcasting.

29.09.2026

See the Constitutional Case here.