PBS chief executive Andrew Psaila told The Malta Independent on Sunday that the new journalists/editors are Mario Micallef, Antonia Micallef, Daphne Cassar, Norma Saliba and Kevin Papagiorcopulo.

Mr Micallef and Mr Papagiorcopulo worked at RTK, Ms Micallef worked with Nationalist Party’s Media.Link outfit, Ms Cassar was a producer at University Radio while Ms Saliba was a sports presenter on Super One until a few years ago.

Ms Cassar and Ms Micallef had already worked on a part-time basis in the PBS newsroom.

Mr Psaila said the new journalists/editors will start their jobs “in the coming days”. Ms Cassar, who was working as a part-timer in the newsroom, has already started her new job.

Together with Tony Dimech and Reno Bugeja, who were chosen in the internal calls for applications, there will now be seven journalists/editors instead of six as originally stipulated in the new PBS structure.

The Malta Independent on Sunday has learnt that another Media.Link journalist had been chosen originally, but declined the post since the financial terms offered were not favourable.

Meanwhile, Paul Azzopardi who had held the post of Manager News at PBS for the past six years, has been re-deployed with the Department of Information.

Mr Psaila said that the post of Manager News and Registered Editor is still vacant, and the position of Manager News is being filled in the interim by Emanuel Zammit (formerly executive policy and planning). However, The Malta Independent on Sunday has learnt that Mr Zammit, who has chosen to be re-deployed with the government, is on long sick leave. Sources at PBS said Fr Joe Borg, chairman of the PBS editorial board, is actually doing some of the work related to this post.

Mr Psaila said he is still carrying out the duties of Registered Editor. This duty will be passed on to the new Manager News as stipulated in the new structure.

Also re-deployed with Mr Azzopardi at the DOI was veteran journalist Anna Bonanno, DOI director Emanuel Abela told The Malta Independent on Sunday. They started their duties at DOI last Monday (4 October).

“Given the enormous experience of Mr Paul Azzopardi and Ms Anna Bonanno in the field of broadcasting, and since these two employees chose the option to be redeployed in government service, it made sense to redeploy these officers with the Department of Information,” Mr Abela said.

Asked to confirm whether they had been assigned to help handle the press organisation of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) to be held in Malta in 2005, Mr Abela said: “The roles of Mr Azzopardi and Ms Bonanno will revolve around the ongoing needs of the Department of Information.

“CHOGM 2005 is a major government undertaking and, like other employees in DOI, Mr Azzopardi and Ms Bonanno will form part of the DOI team handing the CHOGM Media & Publicity Directorate.

“This notwithstanding, both officers are now employees of the Department of Information. As is the case for all other employees, their assignments will be at my discretion in my capacity as head of department.”

John Inguanez, another PBS veteran who had unsuccessfully applied for the post of Manager Programming, has been re-deployed with the Employment and Training Corporation (ETC) as from this week to assist in public relations.

Meanwhile, as reported recently in The Malta Independent on Sunday, the news has been broadcast from Studio 2 at Television House for the past two weeks because the studio space at the PBS news centre is being used for other programmes.

However, the newsroom and the editing suites are still at the news centre, and the newscaster has to walk around 400 metres (200 metres each way) outside and cross the road twice.

Sources said that a female newscaster had a rather shocking experience this week when she arrived to read the six o’clock news.

The security at Television House apparently did not recognise her when she got there at 5:40 and only opened the door at five to six.

She then found that the dressing rooms had been locked and she was told to change in the toilet.

Meanwhile, the transit of journalists from the various newsrooms to PBS has opened new opportunities in other media outlets.

Both RTK and Media.Link have advertised in the newspapers for full time journalists.

Media.Link are also advertising for part-time journalists. Sources told The Malta Independent on Sunday that part-time journalists are needed to assist Karl Stagno Navarra with the recently-launched maltarightnow.com portal