TVM hints at Labour ‘attacks’ behind anonymous letter

National broadcaster makes free association with Labour after ‘anonymous letter’ warns staff they will lose their jobs.

National broadcaster Television Malta has claimed "its presenters" have been warned that they will lose their jobs if Labour is elected - ostensibly after receiving an anonymous letter.

In an unsigned news item carried on its website, TVM suggested that the letter was "not an isolated attack", because Labour organs KullHadd and maltastar.com, and General Workers Union organs l-orizzont and It-Torca had carried "over 120 articles attacking TVM management and journalists".

The station has not published the letter in question, instead carrying on its website a generic photo of letters with a British mail stamp.

TVM has not issued an official statement on the matter, although the national broadcaster's free association of the letter to the Labour and union media suggests that editorial policy inside the TVM's creative hub has loosened up a tad.

TVM, whose Head of News Natalino Fenech and chief executive Anton Attard have been publicly criticised by Labour MP Gino Cauchi, who has accused them of being politically biased against the Labour Party, have in the past responded with libel action.

Both the PL and the TVM management have been locked in several disputes at the Broadcasting Authority over the content of TVM news bulletins or the attitude of TVM presenters towards Labour representatives.

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PLEASE NOTE THAT THE POSTAL MARKINGS AND STAMPS ON THE ENVELOPES DISPLAYED ABOVE ARE ALL BRITISH!!!!!!!! I SUPPOSE THEY COULD HAVE BEEN SENT BY THE TORY PARTY IN ENGLAND, THE PN PARTNER. HA HA!!! THIS IS THE BASEST TRICK OF THE PBS LEADERSHIP IN AN EFFORT TO TRY AND GENERATE FEAR. AFTER THE ELECTIONS THE POLICE SHOULD INVESTIGATE THESE LETTERS AND EVEN MORE SO THE PBS LEADERSHIP FOR CONSTITUTIONAL ABUSE.
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Rita Pizzuto
Mela l-PBS iridu jibqghu jaghtu palata lill-PN sal-ahhar. Bhallikieku jekk veru rcevew l-ittri li qed jghidu dawn gew mit-tmexxija Laburista. Kif ma jisthux? Joseph Muscat ufficjalment qalilhom fuq il-PBS (lil Pierre Portelli) li T-Tnejn jidhlu ghax-xoghol bhas-soltu. Kif allura jridu jitfghu r-responsabbita' fuq il-PL. Ma jridux jghidu li ma kienux (huma) biased favur il-PN hux? Anke a dalghodu stess, f'TVAM kellhom lil Gonzi u tghidx jekk zeghlu bih u staqsewh mistoqsijiiet li bohom seta' jghajjar lil joseph Muscat u lill-PL. Meta tawh xi mistoqsija imbarazzanti ma wegibs, u lanqas biss sewgwewha, bhal jekk hux se jibqa' mexxej tal-PN jekk jitlef.
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Mary Farrugia
We don't need mons. Hercule Poirot to solve this one, eh?
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Why are they worried. They are always fair and balanced in their programs.
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Public Broadcasting Authority - belongs to the Public. Can they be serious. It is another job for the police to investigate. I think the police are foing to hate the electoral campaigns with all this work going on. Who ever did this should have the courage to come forward. Stop wasting our money.
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Fabian Psaila
Xejn ma jsir b'kumbinazzjoni meta tersaq l'elezzjoni! Niftakar il-kaz tax-xuffier ta' Mario Galea li barax il-karozza tal Ministru Galea biex jehlu il-laburisti ! Dawn il-gimmicks u tricks nistennuhom minn tal-PN.... u drajnihom.... kif drajna il-Pierre u l'ispalla tieghu Joe kull fil-ghodu bl-agenda taghhom... u kull tant jilghabuha ta' Punch & Judy wkoll ~ imma Puppazzier wiehed hemm !
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Was this anonymous letter sent from great Britain(one of the stamps shows a british stamp C'mon PBS, be serious, don't be rediculous Is it true that the National broadcaster have been biased __YES does Natalino fenech and anton attard pretend to stay at the pbs helm , if the PL is elected next weekend, ? I hope not just publish the anonymous letter , or give it to the authorities to investigate,so if this allegations are true, who sent it will be caught I am sure this is a LAST attemmt to throw a bad shadow on the PL , a LAST attempt to give the pn a another helping hand, Incredible!!!!
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[BERTU] If justifiable or otherwise all opinions and perhaps many other unprintable ones are being heard in Malta today ,They are a product of critical feeling towards PBS that has been growing in this country since Gonzi pn we do not have to watch pbs but in fact we do watch it as it is our state tv!!!!!!!!!!,and with the great majority of the programs coming into our living rooms is comparatively new medium of mass amusement and instruction is undoubtedly the most predominant of all Gonzi pn at work in Malta today and in the opinion of many thoughtful people most of these programs do more harm than good to all viewers,a waste of precious time that could be spent on so many worthwhile things in life, how else but wasteful would an honest observer describe the endless propaganda and commercials 'sung out and demonstrated on assumption that the average viewer has the mentality of a child,Relations between our two big party's might be in proved if gonzi pn was more sensitive to our feelings and tried to understand the difficulties Maltese have to face in their struggle to build this country ,we diverse better from our state TV, independent news and independent prod casters and than i would gladly watch pbs .
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Has anyone noticed the stamp on the envelope. It is not that clear but it doesn't seem to be a local stamp.
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The fact that PL's newspapers and left leaning newspapers are constantly highlighting the grave imbalance that PBS is providing in the run up to the election cannot be conceived as a threat but as a statement of opinion (I would say fact). Do the people at PBS not remember similar criticism of imbalance by the PN in the 1980s. Is criticism from the PN acceptable but not so when it comes from the PL? Does not PBS hold any reservations that a cousin of people who are embroiled in Malta's biggest political scandal - oilgate - should be allowed to interrogate people on the scandal? Does not PBS feel at all guilty for in the run-up to a general election it has totally abdicated its responsibilities to a company that has a vested interest in who wins the election and with clear PN sympathies? And are we, the paymasters of PBS not allowed to say we disapprove wholeheartedly of its actions without being accused of making threats? As for the so-called threatening letter the word is already going round that since this so-called threat coincides with the latest PN billboard it is part of the PN (and its allies at PBS) to sow fear of the PL just before the elections. Sorry we do not believe you. Last election we had the same story about threats to DCG. What happened to them? The Times had said at the time that the police had a tip-off that a conspiracy existed to harm DCG. A tip-off means they had concrete information. Has anyone been arrested?
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LILI MA BAGHTULIX ITTRI ANONIMI IN NAZZJONALISTI U XORTA XKANAWNI IL BARRA. ARA VERU SIRTU IPOKRITI HEMM GEW, B RISPETT LEJN L EX KOLLEGI. ARA VERU MA TISTHUX DARDARTUH PBS
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PBS dooesn't give a hoot about what the BA says and now it is worried by an anonymous letter? Come on! The usual "Tort tal-Labour" of course ensues, despite what Joseph Muscat stated yesterday!
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Igor P. Shuvalov
Just a simple question: Who would gain political mileage by sending such a letter on the eve of an election the Labour Party or the Nationalist Party? The answer is surely the Nationalist Party, who has already publicly accepted that the sent an anonymous letter to Civil servants. So how could TVM hint at the Labour Party? Or is this a strategy to hide the real sender of this letter?
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I do not agree with any threats but I hope that Natalino fenech and Anton Attard are not expecting to remain managing and controlling PBS if Labour get elected. I expect that they submit their resignations the following week if not the following day. Kieku irrid ikollok wiccek tost biex tibqa hemm. I expect them to pack their things and leave within 24 hours. thank you. I had enough of biased programmes and news on National TV paid by our taxes. Thank you
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"In an unsigned news item carried on its website" Wow! Such a professional station, that no one wanted to take ownership this "news" clip!!
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So it is yet another anonymous letter - the likes of which only the PN know best how to produce. Ask their President how she had sent an anonymous letter only to be caught out and later declare that it was issued by the PN. The PL does not need to send anonymous letters to anyone. The PL has declared that those who have wronged this nation must face justice in our Courts of Law and it will be the independent Courts who will decide who has broken the Law. Those who have not, need not fear.