I always vividly recall the “messianic” days when the process to introduce pluralism in broadcasting got under way. At the time I was running the PBS Radio department, with then CEO, the late Manni Spiteri rightly hounding us to make sure we got prepared for the impact from the new stations. Nowhere, however, in the official documents or in the plethora of ideological speeches of those days was it ever insinuated the political stations would have a limited time. So it comes as quite a surprise today to read and hear some people, including the Nationalist MEP Roberta Metsola, hinting the party stations “were never intended to stay there forever.”

It may not need reminding my readers I was, at the time, against the concept of a party having its own radio station and, pretty soon, also its own TV channel. I wrote about it, but it was obvious the new Eddie Fenech Adami administration had been advised it was a way of avoiding once and for all the sad spectacle of having the State-owned stations lambasted from all sides of the political arena as politicians, stop-watch in hand, fought over airtime coverage. The reasoning was: ok, let’s give them their own set-up and rebuild PBS.

Needless to say, both big parties jumped at the opportunity and only time finally helped our national stations to regain lost ground and reinstil, in the public, the credibility it enjoys today. But never a single word was uttered the party outlets had a definite life span, which is why it does not make sense to see these startling attempts, through media spin and innuendo, at putting the clock back and pathetically moving the goalposts.

One does not need to dig deep to fathom why suddenly all this discomfort with the private, political stations. A game has been played over the decades and the truth is everyone knows who has been scoring more goals than the opponent, but it does not give the loser the right to call it quits. Of course this is all at the political level, as both political stations have their well-groomed professional and technical personnel who have proven they can compete in the field of radio and television creativity.

It must be unnerving to all of them to have to be subjected to these diabolical efforts to rewrite what was, way back in the early 90s, considered sheer ideological dogma in the name of democracy and pluralism in broadcasting. I wonder what the consultants who had triggered the whole pluralism process are saying today, given the setting up of the political stations was obviously part and parcel of their  ideological package to a party in government that was then understandably still smarting from the injustices and the exaggerations of the previous decade.

I continue to believe in the essential of a strong, State-owned broadcasting apparatus that, as PBS’s own guidelines proclaim, “strives to be at the forefront, not only in the provision of quality programming to the public, but also, and most importantly, as the public’s main source of balanced and impartial information.” That we should now have people wanting to rock the boat of Maltese broadcasting by moving – or actually doing away with – the goalposts is an affront to those, on both sides of Maltese politics, who have given so much and dedicated so much time to building their outlets, regardless of their measure of success.

But when one opponent decides to award a walkover, it certainly does not mean the other has to close shop too. If Metsola really has leadership ambitions, she should be thinking of stengthening the team and not contemplating demolition. It is good to observe, however, that even in this climate of needless doubt, the true professionals at the private, political stations continue with their job of competing in what is, after all, a regulated market. A thirty-year-old fait accompli is no easy matter to undo just because you happen to dislike the score.

The bouncing virus

It does tell a lot that the two most hit nations in the world by the coronavirus are the United States and the United Kingdom. Their present leaders, one of them happily on borrowed time, were the least to show concern when the virus struck across the world, and preferred to play political blame games rather than taking quick action to avoid excessive moral and physical harm to the people they represent.

The result is a United States desperately trying to come to terms with reality as record numbers of people die everyday from the Covid-19 virus, and Britain, England in particular, has been put on notice for a New Year lockdown after a UK government chief scientific adviser warned tough, Tier 4 restrictions may be needed.

With the new variant now surging across the UK, it has become a Continental issue as neighbouring and other European countries take precautions to ensure its spread does not cause the same havoc amongst them. “It’s a bouncy virus,” said the UK Home Secretary Priti Patel, as if we’re talking about toy frogs and not a threatening, mutant virus that could destroy what optimism the anti-Covid-19 vaccines approved by various European and international agencies have fostered in recent weeks.

Happy New Year

It is with a strong sense of reality, alas, that one wishes a happy New Year to friends and family in the present world scenario. Covid-19 has been in itself a learning, albeit painful, curve. Humanity defeating it has to be the last resort. May 2021 provide such respite. Until that day, just stay safe, stay alert and get the jab.