Chief Minister Howard Quayle’s continuing dispute with Manx Radio sent a chilling message about press freedom, it was claimed in Tynwald this week.

Hostilities between Chief Minister Howard Quayle and Manx Radio continue one month after he first slammed the station for its coverage of his visit to Hospice and whether it complied with Covid rules.

At the same time as doubling down on criticism in Tynwald this week, he confirmed that while he will answer questions from the radio station at formal press briefings, he will not give any interviews on a personal level. Mr Quayle renewed his criticism of the station.

But Bill Shimmins (Middle) said: ’His veiled threats towards Manx Radio have put chills down the spine of those here who value the free press in a small democracy and that free press must be able to operate without fear or favour.’

Mr Quayle was furious at an online report from the radio station last month, following his visit to the official reopening of Hospice Isle of Man for the formal reopening of its building - after attending a political summit in Northern Ireland a week earlier.

The radio station pointed out that covid rules at the time set out that people who had been off-island are not allowed to visit medical settings for 10 days. However Mr Quayle accused the radio station of failing to make clear initially that his visit did not involve a medical setting and accused the station of ’sensational’ and ’unbalanced’ coverage.

In what many perceived to be a veiled threat last month, he added it was ’very disappointing when you are giving a radio station £1 million of taxpayers’ money’.

Chris Thomas (Douglas Central) said Mr Quayle’s remarks in response to the story were ’perceived to threaten the funding of the public service broadcaster’ and asked Mr Quayle if he had lodged a formal complaint.

Mr Quayle said he was still waiting for an apology for the ’misleading’ story.

’I do have to express my disappointment at the way Manx Radio reported the visit,’ he said. ’I consider the reporting to have lacked balance and to have only selectively reported the facts.’

Mr Quayle denied threatening to take away Manx Radio’s subsidy.

’What I pointed out was that Manx Radio receives circa £1 million to provide a quality news update for the people of this island and Manx programmes and I felt that this is not happening at this moment in time and therefore you have to question how this goes forward,’ he said.

’We want to be able to listen to our news and be confident that what we are being told is in fact the truth.’

He said he had been subject to a police investigation following the story, although he was ’completely exonerated’.

Government officers tried to arrange a ’constructive’ meeting with Manx Radio, but none had taken place, he said.

Mr Thomas asked him if it was true Mr Quayle boycotted Manx Radio on Tynwald Day.

’Yes I did refuse to do an interview,’ said Mr Quayle. ’I asked for a simple apology. That is all I have asked for.

’If I feel unsafe giving interviews to an organisation because I have been misled and sensationalised, why should I continue unless I receive assurances that I have been treated fairly and a small apology.’

Politicians were expected to apologise if they made mistakes, he said.

Responding to Mr Shimmins’ concerns about press freedom, Mr Quayle said: ’I totally agree that the media should be free, without threat, to do their job, but they must do a job that is fair.’

In a statement Manx Radio said: 'We don’t feel it unreasonable for a written agenda, together with a list of proposed attendees, to be provided ahead of any meeting requested by the Cabinet Office.

'The editorial independence of the news team at Manx Radio is at the very centre of what we do. It is also vital to all news organisations across the island and globally.

'Our articles in no way denigrated the fantastic new Tevir facility nor the work of the team at Hospice Isle of Man.'