karl schembri
The light has gone off for Christian channel UTV, a year since it was launched.
Officially, the channel owner, Dun Gwann Farrugia, is saying that he is “upgrading and refurbishing” the station – a prospect that has surprised GO which provided the digital terrestrial platform for the station.
“We’re in the process of upgrading our studios and we should be back on the air within a month or two, at most,” the priest said when contacted. “We’ll definitely be back.”
But GO, which specifies it was not related in any way to UTV except as TV platform provider, says it only got to know about the “upgrading” when it saw a caption on television.
“Last week the channel decided to place a caption stating that it is upgrading – we were not involved and not aware that this was going to happen,” GO spokesman Franco Aloisio said.
“During the same period, we were informed by the Broadcasting Authority that UTV’s license expired on 30th September and renewal was not approved. In the context of the above we proceeded to remove UTV from our channel line-up and the relationship with UTV was terminated.”
Totally financed by Fr Farrugia with a capital investment of around €1.16 million (Lm500,000), which he mostly inherited, Luqa-based UTV was launched with a mission “to spread God’s word and help people in need”.
Launched in August last year, UTV started on the wrong foot when its director Edgar Bonnici Cachia left after a week following disagreement with Fr Farrugia.
At the time of his resignation, Bonnici Cachia had said he could no longer bear “the mediocrity and hard-headedness” of the priest.
UTV boasts the largest studios on the islands and includes among its assets an outside broadcasting unit meant to broadcast live daily mass and the rosary.
Fr Farrugia is described by close friends as “enthusiastic and well-meaning” but misguided when it comes to television.
“He would like to leave the station as a monument,” a friend had said, highlighting the priest’s naivété on media. “He really believes in spreading the message of Christ through television, but has no idea what the medium entails.”
“Some told me I was crazy,” Fr Farrugia had admitted at the launch of his station. “But I believe in this, I believe in broadcasting God’s word, and I’m sure we can make it.”