Former Labour Party Minister and TV presenter Joe Grima has passed away aged 80. He was due to turn 81 tomorrow.

Born in Zejtun, Joe Grima was educated at Stella Maris College and St Michael's Training College.

He started his journalism career as a reported with Times of Malta and later as foreign news sub-editor. Between 1957 and 1960 he regularly contributed programmes as playwright and documentarian to Rediffusion.

In 1961, he joined the Rediffusion Company and was responsible for a number of sound and TV programmes. In 1971, he was appointed chief executive of the Malta Broadcasting Authority.

He contested the 1976 elections for the Labour Party and was elected in a casual election. For five years he was the PM's special envoy to a number of countries.

After the 1981 election, he was appointed Minister of industry, a position he held until 1983 when he was appointed Minister of Tourism.

In 1991, his company Grima Communications was given a licence to set up a national radio talk station, Live FM. In 1992 he retired from politics to concentrate on journalism and broadcasting.

In 1999, he was invited by the PN's media Net TV to present a current affairs programme, presenting Protagonisti, JoeGrimaLive and Opinjonisti.

He was also a regular contributor to daily and Sunday newspapers.

Source: Dictionary of Maltese Biographies, Michael J. Schiavone.