PBS Ltd fined for unapproved Budget spot broadcasts
Broadcasting Authority dishes out two fines against the public broadcaster for airing Budget spots without regulatory approval
PBS Ltd has been fined twice by the Broadcasting Authority after airing budget-related spots on consecutive days without the necessary regulatory approval.
The authority found the broadcaster in violation of Article 15 of Chapter 350, which requires prior clearance for certain broadcasts.
The first incident occurred on October 30, when PBS aired budget-related advertisements on TVM before the 8pm news and again before the 9pm program Popolin.
PBS did not attend a hearing to contest the charge, leading the Broadcasting Authority’s Board to proceed with a ruling.
The Board found PBS guilty of breaching the directive and fined the station €4,660, with a one-month deadline for payment. Additionally, as stipulated by Article 41(7) of Chapter 350, PBS must broadcast a summary of the decision during its 8pm news bulletin the day after the ruling.
A similar charge was filed against PBS on November 4 for airing further unapproved budget-related spots on October 31. These advertisements aired on TVM before the 8pm news, at 9:27pm, and on TVM+ before both the 6pm and 8pm news slots.
Once again, PBS did not appear to defend itself.
After reviewing the case, the Board imposed another €4,660 fine, also due within one month. The authority instructed PBS to announce this second ruling in its 8pm news bulletin on the day after the decision.
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