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The situation of the Maltese media has been brought to the fore in a parliamentary question by Socialist MEP Lilli Gruber, the former RAI television journalist.
Gruber has asked the European Commission whether it was aware of the unique situation of TV broadcasting in Malta where the political parties and the Church own radio and television stations. “Together they dominate the audio and audiovisual media,” Gruber said, referring to an October 2002 survey showing Maltese spent 78 per cent of their radio listening time following a radio station owned by these institutions.
The MEP has asked the Commission whether it intends taking action with the Maltese authorities to ensure the “anomalous situation” is rectified so that other political parties, minorities and civil society are given the opportunity to voice their opinions on all Maltese TV media.
Gruber highlighted Malta as a particular case where the media sector has become more problematic due to conflicts of interest, where the board of the national Broadcasting Authority is nominated by the Prime Minister after consultation with the Opposition leader.
Secretary-general of the European Green Party Arnold Cassola, a candidate to the European Parliament elections for Malta in 2003, said in a statement that the Maltese people “could never expect their representatives in the European Parliament to speak up on such issue” since all five MEPs would be “sanctioned” by their respective political parties.
“It is very important that a journalist of international repute like Lilli Gruber has had the foresight to speak up in the European Parliament about such an anomalous TV media situation as the one in Malta,” Cassola said.
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