Podcaster Ricky Caruana tipped for TVM primetime slot

Podcaster Ricky Caruana is mooted for a primetime slot on TVM, as the national broadcaster publishes its autumn schedule in the coming weeks, Times of Malta is informed.

However, inside sources say Caruana’s show will focus primarily on entertainment, rather than the current affairs interviews through which he made his name.

Sources compared Caruana’s planned programme to Xow, the entertainment show hosted by Ron Briffa, which currently airs in the channel’s Friday night slot.

It is likely that Caruana’s show will take over the same slot, although this has yet to be confirmed, with discussions on the schedule still underway.

It is unclear whether the show will also feature any political guests or content.

On Thursday, Caruana teased “big news about our future” in a Facebook post to his followers, promising that changes would be revealed over the coming week.

Ricky Caruana teased the big news in a Facebook post on Thursday

The podcaster and part-time spirituality guru took Malta’s podcasting world by storm in recent months, rapidly racking up thousands of followers and featuring leading figures from across Malta’s political spectrum on his show.

While Caruana’s laid-back and casual approach to interviewing has won him a large audience, it is not without its detractors.

Critics accuse Caruana of giving guests an easy ride, seldom challenging them on contentious issues and allowing questionable claims to go uncontested. He has also been accused of allowing guests to use his podcast as a platform to present controversial issues with minimal scrutiny.

He recently faced criticism after hosting an impromptu Sunday morning podcast with PA chief Johann Buttigieg, in the wake of a controversial proposal to reform Malta’s planning laws which had NGOs and activists up in arms.

Days later, in response to the outcry, Caruana held a similar interview with Moviment Graffitti activist Andre Callus.

Caruana declined to comment when contacted.