PN MEP Peter Agius has called for the next CEO of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) to be chosen transparently through a public call.

"With the general election approaching, where citizens have the right to access full and impartial information, the Government should ensure that the successor to Mark Sammut as the head of PBS is appointed via a public call," Agius said in response to media reports about Sammut's resignation.

The European Union's Media Freedom Act mandates that roles within PBS must be filled through a transparent and public selection process, the MEP said. "Media reports indicate that the Executive Chairman of PBS has resigned, presenting an opportunity for the Government to immediately apply the provisions of the Media Freedom Act, which it has supported in Europe," Agius stressed.

While the regulation officially comes into force in August next year, Agius highlighted that "unless the Government intends to appoint a CEO for a few months only, it should start adhering to the principles of the Media Freedom Act now, ensuring that the next CEO is appointed via a public call in a fair and transparent process, as established by European law."

He added that this would be an important first step toward improving media freedom in the country. He said that the Government has been slow to implement the recommendations from the Public Inquiry into the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia regarding the protection of press freedom in Malta.