The number of workers with the Nationalist Party media has been brought down to 75 from the 223 employed previously.
This exercise was a major part of the restructuring process that the PN carried out since March 2013 to cut down on its expenses in a bid to reduce the party’s debt which ran into millions of euro.
Last month, Media.link Communications underwent the last part of the exercise when changes were made in the top senior positions. The party employed new people while giving new posts to employees who have worked there for a number of years. Media.link is made up of Net TV, Radio 101, Il-Mument, In-Nazzjon and Maltarightnow.com.
Dr Said himself is now the new media CEO, while Karl Gouder, a former MP, has been appointed Chief Operational Officer. Mr Gouder is responsible for media operations, human resources, IT, administration and engineering, while Marouska Pisani Bugeja was appointed Chief Commercial Officer. Her role is to manage the finances, sales and marketing and broadcasting section.
The party also appointed a Programmes Board which is responsible for NET TV’s programme schedule. This board is composed of various senior employees from different departments together with veteran broadcaster Charles Stroud. As a result of this restructuring Media.link communications is now working with 75 fulltime persons.
The IT, printing and layout sections are now being outsourced.
(Fabian Demicoli interviewing Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil)
Fabian Demicoli has taken up top job of news manager. Mr Demicoli previously worked for Media.link as a journalist between 2007 and 2008. Mr Demicoli replaced Nathaniel Attard, a veteran PN journalist, who has become editor of the PN’s daily paper, in-Nazzjon.
Mr Attard is taking over the editorship from Alex Attard, who has served in this position for a number of years. He has become the newsroom’s Parliamentary Editor. Mr Attard’s former deputy, Simon Vella Gregory, has been made Features Editor. The editor of the Sunday newspaper il-Mument, Roderick Attard, will retain his post. The newsroom is answerable to Dr Said.
Net TV and Radio 101 winter schedule will start on Monday 29 September.