On Wednesday, Public Broadcasting Services launched a re-branded identity and the autumn programming schedule, presenting a wide range of new programmes for TVM, Radju Malta and Magic Malta.
One characteristic of the new TVM line-up is the removal of all current affairs programmes (except the very popular Xarabank and Dissett on Saturdays) from prime time – in other words, after the 8pm News.
Information and discussion programmes take the stage during the second late-evening tier, starting at 9.50pm, including Bondi+ which has been split into two programmes – every Tuesday and Thursday – Qalbinnies on Mondays and Lenti on Wednesdays.
Prime time slots will be dedicated to entertainment, with the exception of discussion programme Dissett on Saturdays. From Monday to Friday and on Sundays, TVM will present popular drama and comedy such as Deċeduti, Min Imissu, F’Salib it-Toroq, Bijografiji and DREAMS.
For the second consecutive year, TVM will be offering a new selection of blockbuster films on Saturday evenings.
Family entertainment has been scheduled to fill in the evening (pre-news) time band, with Carlo Borg Bonaci and Ronald Briffa presenting Kwizzun and Puree respectively – both family-oriented game shows.
The frequency of news updates and bulletins will also increase from this autumn. The TVM newsroom will provide news updates at noon, 2pm, 4pm, 6pm, 8pm, 9.45pm and 11.15pm. The newsroom will also provide news content for the daily breakfast show.
Journalist Daphne Cassar will present a daily TV breakfast show that will take on a news programme format, while veteran TV host Claudette Pace returns to TVM with the strong afternoon entertainment brand Sellili.
Locally produced lifestyle programmes follow at 10.30pm, including Meander, Pap Paq, Mixage and Venere.
Children’s programmes also have an important role in TVM’s schedule. A totally re-branded version of Zona will be transmitted daily from 4.10pm onwards.
TVM is also launching three new programmes on Sundays: primetime comedy Min Imissu, Style Watch at 6.40pm and a culture/information programme, Malta u Lil Hinn Minnha, at 9.50pm.
A selection of the best all-time classic British comedy takes Sunday’s pre News evening slot at 7.15pm.
Veteran radio host Carlo Borg Bonaci has been engaged as Station Manager for Magic Malta and he will also host a live daily breakfast show on the station.
Popular duo Frank Zammit and Ronald Briffa have joined the team at Radju Malta to host the weekday breakfast show, while Lilian Maistre will continue her morning show Familja Waħda from Monday to Friday. Familja Waħda has been voted the favourite radio programme from all local radio stations.
Daphne Cassar is not the only one to move from the Newsroom. Yesterday’s l-orizzont reported that Peter Cossai is to head the Sports section and Ruth Amaira Channel 22, which will be turned, the paper said, into TVM’s second station.
Among the many moves criss-crossing from one station to another, the most remarkable is that of former One TV head Michael Vella Haber, who moves to TVM with DREAMS with a cast of over 200 students together with 40 main actors. Each episode will feature one original song with original lyrics.
Kwizzun will have five participants a week with a guaranteed winning of €500 a week and 36 participants competing in the final round that will see the lucky winner taking home thousands of euros.
F’Salib it-Toroq, the most talked-about drama last season, will continue with 33 new episodes. The series boasts 135,000 viewers and a 24.1 per cent audience share.
During the launch at The Radisson Golden Sands Resort for advertising partners, PBS chairman Joseph Mizzi said that the autumn programme schedule aims to foster the existing healthy relationships with successful producers and presenters while encouraging new productions to achieve their potential.
Next year will mark the 50th anniversary of the setting up of Malta Television Services (MTV). To commemorate this important milestone in the development of Malta’s public broadcasting services, PBS has also launched a re-branded visual identity that traces the origins of the state broadcaster and displays elements of Malta’s most widely recognised symbol – the Maltese cross.
Malta Television Services came into being in 1962, while Public Broadcasting Services Ltd was established as a commercial entity in 1991, 20 years ago.
PBS has also invested in new programme openings and graphics for its flagship news programmes.
PBS CEO Anton Attard announced that TVM will soon start trials in high definition, with the aim of migrating the station’s transmission to HD in the medium term, and that, as a first step in the migration process, TVM will start native widescreen transmissions in a 16:9 format from the new autumn schedule.
“The investment in programme quality is complemented by another substantial investment to update our technical and operational systems in line with modern broadcasting standards and practices” he said.
Mr Attard also announced that PBS has obtained the local broadcasting rights for the entire UEFA Euro 2012 football competition and also that the dates for the semi-final and final nights of the 2012 Malta Song for Europe festival have been set for Friday, 27 and Saturday, 28 January respectively.