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Karl Schembri
The Public Broadcasting Services newsroom is still without a news manager as a panic-stricken board of directors is trying hard to persuade MIC head Carmel Attard to accept the hot seat after the latter had refused the post following an interview.
A month ago, the national broadcasting company published a call for applications for the post from people outside PBS after Attard had turned down the post. Sources say the few applicants were turned down by the interviewing board, including Charles Flores who is currently employed at PBS.
A new call for applications is already being advertised in the media although sources say PBS is still pushing Attard – the former news manager of the Church’s radio station, RTK – to accept the post. Attempts to seek Attard for his comments proved futile.
But time is running out as the news manager would be needed to approve the employment of new journalists – another problematic issue of for the company after the mass exodus of news anchors and reporters.
The role of news manager carries with it the responsibility of registered editor, meaning that the person would be legally liable for editorial content on the PBS stations, even though he or she will not have a vote on the editorial board.
The role is believed to be undermined by a cut in staff and the removal of dedicated cameramen thanks to the ongoing restructuring process that is meant to cut down PBS employees from 178 to 64. In fact, the news manager will have to ‘borrow’ cameramen from the programming department as the newsroom will no longer have its own news cameramen.
The Chairman of the PBS Editorial Board, Fr Joe Borg, admitted that the post of news manager was “a very hot seat” in an interview with MaltaToday last Sunday. He said the lack of interest in the post reflected the level of journalism in Malta.
“I don’t think many journalists are up to the challenge,” he said.
Meanwhile another PBS newsroom veteran left the company last week to join RTK as news manager. Leonard Callus walked out of the PBS building last Monday after 31 years working there.
“It’s sad to leave like this after all these years working in public broadcasting,” Callus told MaltaToday. Callus worked as news coordinator and head of sports for several years at the station. The latter post will not exist anymore as the restructuring process will mean the dismantling of the sports section and the farming out of sports programmes. The remaining news journalists are somehow expected to cover sports as well.
PBS employees expressed their disappointment at the fact that despite all the government’s rhetoric about changing work practices, the people in management remained virtually the same while the best technicians and broadcasting veterans were lost.
“This restructuring exercise has been so hasty and ruthless that PBS will never be able to recover,” one of the remaining staff said.
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