People talk (1)

If PBS wants to remain relevant it needs to promote programmes that people like. That is why a lot of those who enjoyed Dissett were shocked to hear that it was axed from the station's schedule.

I have known the programme’s presenter Reno Bugeja for over 25 years. As we both grew older,I have seen him assert himself as an independent-minded and incisive media exponent, whose love for the journalistic craft has never diminished.

In Dissett he chose highly topical subjects. Reno produced a very well-researched programme and coordinated a team of PBS journalists who made the extra effort to put up a weekly programme on top of their other day-to-day responsibilities. Their endeavour was even more admirable given the dearth of time and funds at their disposal.

His position as interviewer was far from deferential. Many politicians perceived him as a hard nut to crack but they still respected his fairness. A simple google search would reveal how parliamentary transcripts recorded Evarist Bartolo admitting the following in one of the debates:“Jekk tkun fuq il-pultruna quddiem Reno Bugeja u jibda jistaqsik, jagħmillek ħajtek infern! Imma dak dmiru, u sewwa jagħmel! Ġieli intervistani, u ma jħallikx taħrablu mill-mistoqsija!”

This is one of the reasons why many of us liked Dissett. We trusted the presenter because he did not appear to have other agendas beyond the production of valid and reliable interviews. Only last year MaltaToday commissioned a survey which confirmed his nation-wide credibility: “Reno Bugeja is considered the least politically biased TV journalist on the national broadcaster”. It seems very strange that PBS was prepared to make it harder and harde for audiences to follow its most trusted programme.

Moreover, I never understood what led PBS to believe that good quality programmes are no longer programmes people may want to watch during prime time. In the past years it was not easy for Dissett audiences to follow the live broadcasts simply because it was relegated to the “seconda serata”. People who work and other early birds like me, often resorted to watch it streamed on di-ve.com. I am sure that, given the right support, Dissett would have enjoyed a wide appeal.

But now the programme is off the air. I was not at all surprised that the journalist was reluctant to take up a time slot on Wednesday evenings. All advertisers and all TV programme managers have long acknowledged that no matter how good you are, on that day it is impossible to beat the UEFA matches. If the producer accepted the Wednesday time-slot he would have sounded his own death-knell. Low audience ratings do not make this particular effort worthwhile and given PBS’s audience-driven path, this would have justified the programme’s end some other time in the future.

People’s agenda
Phone-in programmes, preceded blogs in empowering audiences through active citizen participation. Such programmes still enable people from all social strata and age groups to articulate their views. Each Saturday morning,I conduct a radio discussion programme on RTK, which keeps me on my toes on issues and in touch with public sentiment. Key current issues are probed in the presence of well-known opinion leaders. Listeners have ample space to participate via phone-ins and SMSes. This is now a long-established format for radio programmes, but I still find people’s experiences and perspectives interesting and enriching.

This autumn, I first wished to explore news stories that had not been adequately probed in discussion programmes merely because they emerged during the silly season (i.e. the summer months). I first asked the political leaders to comment on three main summer events or issues of their own choice.

Prime Minister Laurence Gonzi picked the demise of Guido de Marco and positive results observed in tourism and employment figures. Like the two other leaders, he also underscored the fireworks tragedies which rocked and shocked the Maltese islands. The Leader of the Opposition Joseph Muscat pointed out the ARMS debacle and irregularities in local councils. This last point was also raised by AD chairman Michael Briguglio who also highlighted the relevance of the divorce debate stirred by JPOs Private Member’s Bill. These were all significant matters which I would have liked to explore on top of the new proposals for a Whistleblower Act and the strengthening of the Permanent Commission against Corruption.

But people had other priorities. Our first caller in the programme was my much-admired former English teacher Charles Caruana Carabez. He called on the political class to launch a head-on offensive against poverty. This was followed by numerous responses. Afew sceptics still attributed neediness to nuqqas ta’ ghaqal, gambling and countless addictions. But then we heard the pensioner who has just spent all her lifesavings to buy her husband’s chemotherapy; the parent and kids’ unexpected hardship following abandonment by a partner; the young couple who decided to work harder to redeem some of the mortgage but soon realised that no matter how great their effort, their earnings remained frozen as they had to pay higher taxes; and the family of a worker that struggled to make ends meet after he was forced into early retirement following the privatisation of a public entity.

Stakeholders must take note and translate their awareness into action.  We need to remember that in 2010 the European Commissionhas made a cross-regional campaign to create awareness on growing hidden destitution. Earlier this year, the Church appointed Caritas to draw attention to poverty.  Civil society, including unions havelongbeen warning of a growing social gap. Only last week,UHM commented that the government’s Vision 2015 must not be merely economy-centred; it should also include social considerations.

People talk. Decision-makers must listen.