Updated: BA criticises PBS 'for placing itself above the authority'

Next Saturday’s Dissett shall feature both the PL and the PN deputy leaders according to a decision the Public Broadcasting Services editorial board took last Monday, the station said. This, PBS said, showed that the BA’s directive today had not been necessary. PBS was reacting to Broadcasting Authority statement earlier today, in which the latter said it was ordering the station to invite both deputy leaders for the programme. In this statement, the BA criticised PBS 'for placing itself above the authority' when it said it was considering a BA recommendation issued on Saturday to have both deputy leaders for the programme. The recommendation, the BA said, should have been accepted by a public broadcasting station and such behaviour from PBS was not acceptable and would not be tolerated just a few days before the beginning of an electoral campaign. But PBS said that when the BA issued its recommendation, it genuinely believed that the authority wanted to send political parties a message that it was PBS and not they which decided the subjects to be discussed and on which date. However, the BA’s statement today made it clear that this was not the case. It said that when the...