SHAREText:
'Another activity from which political parties indirectly benefit is theholding of political debates and political spots on national television or private television stations.Article 13(4) of the Broadcasting Act (chapter 350 of the Laws of Malta) stipulates that it is a dutyof the broadcasting authority to organise from time to time schemes of political broadcasts(including political spots) which fairly apportion facilities and time between the different politicalparties represented in Parliament. In order to fulfil its duty, the authority has the right to order anyperson providing broadcasting services in Malta for reception in Malta to provide, free of charge,the recording and other facilities necessary for the production of the programmes for radio andtelevision, as well as to transmit, free of charge, on days and at times to be decided by theauthority, the same programmes provided that this exercise is reasonably justifiable in ademocratic society. The parties are also able to broadcast via their own terrestrial channels,meaning that they do not need to rely on purchasing broadcasting time from other providers' (p. 7)