Local TV slammed for political comment

PALMA
OPPOSITION Partido Popular (PP) spokesman in the Balearics, Antoni Pastor, slammed IB3, the public television in the Islands, yesterday saying it was the most politically biased in the country.

He was speaking following the recording of an unofficial conversation in which regional PP leader Rosa Estaras appeared to suggest she had been left in the lurch by former Balearic president, Jaume Matas.

Pastor claimed that regional TV broadcasting was heavily influenced by the political leanings of its director, Antoni Martorell, a former press officer for Union Mallorquina who govern the Balearics in coalition with the socialists and the Left.-Wing Pact. Pastor also said that programme scheduling appeared to consist of little other than “opportunity to lambast the opposition Partido Popular and act as a propaganda platform for the Socialist government and its left-wing coalition members.” IB3 was created by Jaume Matas four years “as a Balearic version of the BBC.” However, ever since it first started broadcasting it has been accused of favouring whoever is in power.

Prior to a Parliamentary session scheduled for today which will have on its agenda the current state of regional broadcasting, Pastor insisted that the TV station has indeed fulfilled its remit of a Balearic Socialist (PSIB) and Unió Mallorquina “tirade” against the centre-right Partido Popular. This has been achieved to such an extent, claimed Pastor that “it would seem that the real head of regional television is no other than Maria Antonia Munar”, head of Union Mallorquina and leader of the Balearic Parliament. Pastor suggested that the status quo is “dangerous and says little for democracy.” He went on to insist that Balearic Television was being used to demonise the four years in which the Partido Popular was in power in the Balearics under its now-departed leader, Jaume Matas. Pastor claimed the strategy was to “justify the incompetence” of the region's current Socialist president - Francesc Antich - and that most broadcast literary gatherings were planned to negatively “bombard” the Partido Popular.

Asked about the possibility that the PP would stop taking part in literary and political discussions on Balearic television in the same way that the Socialists had done during the term of office of the previous (PP) government, Pastor rejected the suggestion saying that “it would not come to that” if the balance of bias could be corrected.

He “had hopes” that in tomorrow's Parliamentary debate which would be attended by both PP leader Rosa Estarás and Balearic president Francesc Antich, an agreement could be reached to “depoliticize” broadcasting on regional television.

Estaras allegedly said she had been left in the lurch because former Balearic leader Jaume Matas left the island soon after his election defeat. Estaras became the head of the Party which was still pretty battered after the election result.

The Partido Popular secured the lion´s share of the vote although they did not gain an overall majority.
As a direct result the remaining parties formed the coalition which now governs here.