PBS won’t disclose ‘commercially sensitive’ Ricky Caruana contract

Malta’s public broadcaster has refused to disclose its contractual agreement with TV presenter and podcaster Ricky Caruana on grounds of commercial sensitivity.

Caruana was given a Friday prime-time slot for a discussion programme on PBS which started in October.

The presenter rose to prominence after starting a popular podcast hosted on his social media pages.

The exact financial details of Caruana’s financial package remain under wraps, with PBS this week rejecting a freedom of information request by Times of Malta for it.

The decision to hand Caruana, who has no journalistic background, a prime-time TV slot, attracted widespread and scathing criticism, especially given his reputation for offering a largely unchallenging platform to guests, including figures with controversial pasts.

PBS’s decision to allocate airtime to him has been slammed by the women’s lobby, as they say the presenter’s “medieval and blatantly misogynistic opinions on social media platforms” has no place on TVM.

“The national broadcaster, which is supported by taxpayers, is rewarding discrimination with money and visibility,” the lobby said in October.

Last week, junior minister Rebecca Buttigieg described a podcast interview by Caruana with convicted sex offender Justin Haber as “unacceptable”.

The podcast was aired a few days after an appeal court confirmed a judgment in which Haber, 44, was handed a two-year prison sentence, suspended for four years, and fined €7,000 for sexually harassing a 14-year-old employee at his restaurant between 2020 and 2022.

Caruana has defended his podcast, saying he merely offers a space for people, including critics of his, to have their say. He has also emphasised that the podcast is separate from his TV programme, which is conducted in line with PBS standards.

The National Commission for the Promotion of Equality (NCPE) has called on the authorities to ensure that individuals in public roles uphold standards of correctness and refrain from causing social harm.

“Individuals who occupy official public positions, particularly within the broadcasting sector, carry an enhanced responsibility due to their influence on public attitudes and perceptions. Where such individuals fail to uphold these standards, they should no longer occupy public roles nor receive public funding,” the NCPE said in the wake of the Haber interview.