Minister for National Heritage, the Arts, and Local Government, Owen Bonnici, defended PBS against allegations of bias and dismissed criticism of the film industry, saying that the country is moving in the right direction.

Bonnici spoke to The Malta Independent on Sunday in an interview during which he outlined the government's cultural priorities, and responded to concerns and criticisms over PBS, local councils, heritage protection as well as the film industry.

The national broadcaster PBS has often been accused of bias in favour of the government, so much so that it has been dubbed "Super One 2". Over the past months and years, PBS has been found guilty several times of broadcasting pro-Labour government partisan political advertising and of being discriminating against the Nationalist Party.

Yet when asked whether there are any real efforts for the taxpayer-funded PBS to strive to be a neutral broadcaster, Bonnici described such criticism as "very, very unfair".

"There is a system in place where if there is an imbalance, one can file a complaint with the Broadcasting Authority, which will then rule on the matter," he said.

"In reality, both the Nationalist Party and the Labour Party have criticised and filed complaints against PBS, because of imbalance of the news reporting," Bonnici said, adding that this demonstrates that accusations of bias are not one-sided.

Ascertaining balance in the news is "not an easy task" Bonnici said, but the investment and changes the government has made in the newsroom has seen massive improvement.

Bonnici was given a recent example, regarding the way a protest against the magisterial inquiries reform was reported during the PBS main bulletin on 16 February. While this was a main story on all other platforms, except for the Labour media, the story was mentioned on the PBS news bulletin more than 20 minutes into the 8pm news, was not mentioned as a main news item at the beginning of the programme, and was relegated to the second part of the bulletin after the adverts break, when people are normally switching off or moving to other channels.

When pressed on claims that PBS prioritises government news, Bonnici insisted that improvements are ongoing but stressed the importance of editorial discretion. He reiterated that the complaint system over an alleged imbalance to the BA works well.

Bonnici said that he has met people on the streets who have told him they believed that "the 8pm news is imbalanced against the Labour Party".

On the other hand, Bonnici said he hears Opposition MPs say it is imbalanced against the Nationalist Party. The best way is to focus on the existing system, where the BA gives its judgements, Bonnici said.

When asked how neutral people can have faith in PBS when it is being used as a government propaganda machine, such as during the Eurovision period, when most of the advertisements were government related, Bonnici said that these adverts were not political.

"One was of the Film Commission celebrating 100 years of films in Malta. I don't see anything wrong with that," Bonnici said.

In fact, these adverts helped the government to generate revenue to ensure a "fantastic Eurovision," Bonnici said.

"I would like to make it clear that PBS does not impose tariffs on people to watch it, like other countries do. It depends on advertising. During the Eurovision there were normal advertising by entities and other companies, and the revenue made it possible for us to have a very good Eurovision," Bonnici added.

Situation for local producers will 'definitely' improve this year

Under former Minister Clayton Bartolo, the Film Commission faced criticism for prioritising foreign productions over local filmmakers.

Bonnici commended the decision to move the film portfolio under the Culture Ministry, calling it "a step in the right direction, a very good decision, independently of who the minister is".

He advised any person occupying the role of prime minister to keep it that way.

"The Film Commission has done a fantastic job attracting investment in the servicing aspect and for every euro invested, the value added to the economy is tripled," he said, citing a National Audit Office report stating that official figures may underestimate the industry's economic impact.

However, he acknowledged the need for better support for local filmmakers. "What is certain is that it is the government's full intention to provide better answers to the challenges local film producers face," Bonnici said.

He said that government has increased the film fund from €200,000 under a previous Nationalist administration to €2m in 2025.

Arts Council Malta will now focus on content creation, while the Film Commission continues managing production services, Bonnici said.

"Arts Council is filling the voids and gaps. Right now, I have conversations ongoing with the Malta Entertainment Industry and Arts Association (MEIA) and the Malta Film Producers Association and we are on a good working relationship," Bonnici said.

Asked about Film Commissioner Johann Grech's controversial tenure, including his involvement in a costly promotional 10-minute film, Bonnici credited him for success in film servicing but admitted local filmmakers had felt sidelined.

"I think that Grech has obtained very good results in terms of the servicing aspect of the film industry, and nobody disputes that. Very few people say that Johann Grech is not good at attracting investment," Bonnici said.

Bonnici said that "what probably happened was that Grech ended up being criticised because of that situation, because local film producers were not being given enough attention", which he said the Ministry is currently addressing.

"That situation will definitely improve this year," he said, adding that the government is exploring ways to encourage local television series productions.

Asked again if he will continue working with Grech, Bonnici reiterated that Grech is "doing a very good job in terms of the servicing aspect of the industry".

He said that what the government will do is bolster the content creation aspect, through Arts Council Malta.

Bonnici was asked if the government plans to in any way change the 40% cash rebate for various productions to be filmed in Malta.

Bonnici said that the system in this regard works very well among a very competitive European environment, but the Ministry is "very well-advised" by top international advisors.

"The cash rebate system is a tool which works very well, and is very well received by everyone, save for singular people criticising it, but by and large, 99% of people believe it is a good scheme, even the harshest government critics," Bonnici said.

"We will make sure Malta remains competitive. It is a good thing, and we will make sure to keep improving it," Bonnici said, adding that the cash rebate has even increased to 50% for certain challenging films under specific categories.

He also said that a number of Maltese producers have also benefited from a 50% cash rebate.

Bonnici disagrees government took over local councils' responsibilities

Bonnici rejected claims that the government has reduced local councils to mere "customer care services", arguing instead that government assistance has helped councils achieve more.

He pointed out that when he served as deputy mayor of Marsascala, local councils were responsible for maintaining roads but lacked the funds to do so.

The Labour government later took over road maintenance, relieving councils of financial strain, Bonnici said.

"What the Labour government did was service all the roads itself. That was a massive help to local councils," he said, adding that council funding has also increased over time.

Asked for his opinion as to why some local councils still say they have been reduced to customer care, Bonnici said that there are three parties which have representatives in the local councils.

"There are, of course, members of the Opposition party who level criticism, some of which is genuine, others may be part of the political narrative," Bonnici said.

He said he was sure that when one looks at the facts, one would determine that not all criticism reflects the truth.

He dismissed the notion that the government plans to eradicate local councils.

"With the excellent work of the parliamentary secretary for Local Government Alison Zerafa Civelli, the government has increased the funding towards local government and also gave proper funding to the regional government and councils, for the first time," Bonnici said.

He said that the regional government now has funding and powers, particularly with regards to waste management.

"We are very proud of the work our local councils do and see them as fantastic partners, particularly for cultural events," Bonnici said.

The best time for culture is yet to come, minister says

He discussed the government's long-term cultural policy, already in place, which focuses on three key priorities: improving the quality of creative expression by encouraging artists to push boundaries, democratising culture and increasing investment to internationalise Malta's cultural expression.

Bonnici, who places third in the government protocol after Prime Minister Robert Abela and Deputy Prime Minister Ian Borg, was asked whether he would run for Labour Deputy Leader again, as he had done in 2016.

He categorically ruled it out, saying he is focused on strengthening the cultural sector.

Reflecting on Labour's performance in the last European Parliament and Local Council elections, he said voters signalled a desire for a "better version of Labour".

He praised PM Abela for acknowledging and acting on this message, noting that Labour's polling numbers have since improved. Even the cultural sphere was given more attention, he said.

Bonnici said that the PN is doing the "big, disastrous mistake" of not trying to be better in ideas, and there is a section of the Opposition which "goes for the jugular", by making personal attacks and extremist arguments.

On independent parties, Bonnici said that the matter "really interested" him.

"Usually, the people who say they have had enough with both parties and look at the newer, smaller parties, share a lot of things with me personally," Bonnici said, adding that he enjoys conversing with them.

To those people seeking independent parties, Bonnici said that Labour has the duty to encourage them to work with the party, given that "it is the biggest force in the country, and in a position to change things".

"Let us work together for change, despite our differences. We're open to working together," Bonnici said.

Looking ahead, Bonnici said he felt positive about Malta's cultural sector.

"The best time for culture is yet to come. In our lifetime, culture will become a super priority for the country, and we are headed in that direction," he said.

The second part of the interview, related to Malta's heritage, will be published tomorrow in The Malta Independent