Cap. 350 Art. 36Powers of the President.

(1) The Prime Minister may, if it appears to him to be necessary or expedient to do so, advise the President to require the Authority, by notice in writing, to broadcast and/or to cause the broadcast by any person providing broadcasting services in Malta, free of charge, and at such times as may be specified in the notice, any announcement or other material so specified, with or without visual images of any picture, scene or object mentioned in such announcement or other material, and it shall be the duty of the Authority and of any person providing broadcasting services to comply with any such notice.

(2) Where the Authority, or any person providing broadcasting services in Malta, publishes any announcement or other material in pursuance of a notice under sub-article (1), it may announce that it is so doing in pursuance of such a direction.

(3) The Prime Minister may, if it appears to him to be necessary or expedient to do so, advise the President to require the Authority, by notice in writing, to refrain from broadcasting any matter or classes of matter specified in the notice, and it shall be the duty of the Authority and of any person providing broadcasting services to comply with any such notice.

(4) The Prime Minister may, if it appears to him to be necessary or expedient to do so, advise the President to give directions to the Authority, by notice in writing, as to the maximum time, the minimum time, both the maximum and minimum time, which is to be given each day to broadcasts from any sound or television broadcasting station, and as to the hours of the day in which such broadcasts are or are not to be given, and it shall be the duty of the Authority and of any person providing broadcasting services to comply with any such notice.

(5) The duties imposed on the Authority by this article shall be without prejudice to the provisions of article 118(8) of the Constitution.

(6) The powers of the President in terms of this article may only be exercised in so far as they are reasonably justifiable in a democratic society.