Prime Minister Robert Abela wants to create a “media blackout”, Opposition Leader Adrian Delia warned on Friday. 

Speaking during a press conference, the PN leader said that the Prime Minister was doing everything in his power to hijack the public broadcaster. 

“Instead of a broadcaster that informs and educates, it is used as a platform for Labour propaganda. In the 70s, Labour also wanted a media blackout. 

“The so-called reform for the broadcaster seems to have been kickstarted today with Xarabank being booted off the list of upcoming shows,” Delia said. 

He was referring to news that the popular Friday night show, which had been on air for 23 years, will not resume come September when the new TVM programmes start airing after the summer. 

It has not yet been established why the show will not return, with many questioning the decision since it was one of the most popular shows on Maltese television and attracted thousands of viewers every week. 

On the Broadcasting Authority’s most-recent decision to “censor” journalists' questions during a live news conference on State television, Delia said this cannot be allowed to happen. 

Acknowledging that the ruling had been handed down after a complaint by the PN, Delia said it was not what the party was after. He said it wanted impartiality and not blackouts. 

The PN leader said the Broadcasting Authority should be completely independent and its appointment should come after a two-thirds majority vote in parliament. 

He also called for the setting up of funds for those interested in a career in journalism as well as one for independent media houses to ensure they continue to inform the public. 

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.