The Environment Ministry was the biggest spender on television airtime in the first two months of the year, forking out at least €17,236 for information slots on TVM and ONE programmes.
None of the ministry’s agencies - which range from Ambjent Malta to Project Green - bought airtime on NET, while it is unclear how much WasteServ paid FLiving, according to replies to parliamentary questions by Darren Carabott.
The PN MP asked each of the 19 ministries to provide the amount they – or entities falling within their remit – spent on TV programmes, broken down by date, name of the programme and TV station.
According to the information provided by 11 ministries, the government spent, in total, at least €31,461 on slots aired on TVM channels, €19,412 on PL’s ONE and €5,622 on FLiving. The Nationalist Party’s NET earned the least with a total of €2,603.
Some ministries bought airtime just on TVM or FLiving, however, there were four – OPM, the education, Gozo and energy ministries – that bought airtime on ONE but not on NET.
These four ministries were asked why no airtime was bought on NET. The questions have not yet been answered.
Of the remaining eight ministries, the foreign affairs and lands ministries said they had not spent money on TV programmes. The tourism ministry said it had not “bought any airtime”.
The transport, economy, heritage and social policy ministries informed Carabott that the information was still being collated.
Meanwhile, although he did not provide a breakdown or total spend, Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri said the ministry had booked slots during magazine shows on all TV stations through a Public Service Obligation agreement with TVM (TVAM, Għaddi s’hawn, Niskata and Illum ma’ Steph). It also paid €170 per slot on NET’s Ġimgħa b’Ġimgħa, €180 on ONE’s Kalamita and €175 on FLiving Show. Separately, Aġenzija Identità also books slots, at €175 each, on TVAM’s Għaddi s’hawn and Niskata.
Office of the Prime Minister
Public Service bought airtime for eight episodes of ‘A day in the Life of’ campaign, including airtime on ONE programme Bżulija between January and the first week of March, for a total of €4,000 (excluding VAT). Meanwhile, Servizz.gov spent €740 on interviews in Illum ma’ Steph and Niskata on TVM in January and February. It similarly spent €300 on FLiving interviews.
In all, the OPM spent €5,040.
Ministry for European funds, Equality, Reforms and Social Dialogue
The ministry said €1,850 were spent on informative discussions on TVAM, Illum ma’ Steph and Niskata programmes on TVM. €900 were spent on six ONE Kalamita programmes while €676 were spent on six NET Ġimgħa b’Ġimgħa and Bejnietna programmes.
€500 were spent on two FLiving shows.
Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights
The Food Systems Directorate spent €500 on a ONE Bżulija programme, which was aired twice in January.
The ministry – through its Let’s Talk Farming Programme, Malta Food Agency, Viticulture and Oenology centre, Directorate for Agriculture, Riżorsi Agrikoli Malta and the Public Abattoir – spent €4,934 on 15 interview slots on various TVM programmes between January and March. It also spent €1,302 on nine slots on NET programmes and €1,500 on an interview on January 26 on the FLiving show.
In all, the ministry spent €8,236 on airtime.
Ministry for Social and Affordable Accommodation
The Housing Authority spent €925 on five interviews during TVM’s Illum ma’ Steph, TVAM and Għaddi s’Hawn to raise awareness about the entity’s schemes in January and February.
Ministry for Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector
The ministry spent €888 on three discussions on ONE’s Kalamita in January and February.
Separately, Aġenzija Sapport, within the ministry’s remit, spent €546 on a Dak Li Jgħodd Podcast on ONE in January. Meanwhile, between January and the first week of March, the same agency spent a total of €625 on five interviews on NET’s Ġimgħa b’Ġimgħa. It separately spent €2,570 on 18 interviews on TVM’s Niskata and Illum ma’ Steph and TVMnews+’s Abilità fid-Diżabilità.
Ministry for Gozo and Planning
Throughout January and February, the ministry – through its Services Gozo Directorate, the Planning Authority and the Tourism and Economic Development entities – spent a total of €8,368 on nine programmes on TVM and TVMSPORT+.
The Tourism and Economic Development Directorate separately spent €2,500 on three programmes on ONE’s The Local Traveller.
In all, the ministry spent €10,868 in two months.
Ministry for the Environment, Energy and the Regeneration of the Grand Harbour
Throughout the first two months of the year, the ministry only bought airtime on ONE, spending €4,363 on slots during programmes The Local Traveller, Dak Li Jgħodd and Knockabout. Similarly, the Water Services Corporation spent €812 on three Kalamita interviews on ONE.
Separately – through ARMS, the Energy and Water Agency and the Environment and Resources Authority – the ministry spent €9,767 on TVM airtime. ARMS and EWA also spent €2,293 on ONE airtime.
WasteServ said it spent money on TVM’s Illum ma’ Steph and FLiving but did not divulge the amount – it said the spend was part of a wider advertising package.
In all, the ministry spent at least €17,236 on airtime in January and February.
Ministry for Finance and Employment
The Malta Financial Services Authority spent €420 on two interviews on TVM in February and March.
Ministry for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation
Between January and March, representatives of the ministry and the National Skills Council were interviewed on Kalamita and ONE Breakfast for a total spend of €2,608.
Separately, the Foundation for Educational Services spent €1,800 on interviews on F Living Show between January and March.
Justice Ministry and Reform of the Construction Sector
A total of €823 (excluding VAT) were spent on an FLiving show where the government’s notary provided educational information.
Ministry for Health and Active Ageing
€1,885 were spent on TVM’s Illum ma’ Steph and Niskata, while €698.67 were spent on FLiving.