Public broadcasting veteran and BA chairman Martin Micallef passes away

One of Malta’s media veterans, Martin Micallef, has passed away at just 61 years of age.

Micallef was the chairman of Malta’s Broadcasting Authority, where he was appointed to the constitutional role on 24 April 2017.

“His extensive experience in the sector has no doubt enriched the organisation and the broadcasting industry in general. He will be remembered for his dedication and professionalism,” the BA’s chief executive officer Joanna Spiteri said.

Martin Micallef spent long years in broadcasting, which included co-productions with Italian state TV Rai3 and France 3. He was a Masters’ graduate in communications, serving mainly with the Public Broadcasting Services, as well as a secretary-general of the Malta-Italy Chamber of Commerce.

Micallef was the first Malta National Co-ordinator for CIRCOM Regional, the European Association of Regional Television and was the PBS representative on the action committee for the setting up of a EUROMED Satellite TV network supported by RAI, France 2, Mediaset, and other euromediterranean tv stations. He organised Radio Euromed in collaboration with RAI International with programmes broadcast from Malta and other Mediterranean cities.

He was also responsible for the International Affairs and Communications Unit of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean and served on the Press Ethics Commission.

Micallef was saluted by both the Labour and Nationalist Parties, which are represented on the BA’s board of directors. “He was a man of culture and an expert of the media who gave a great contribution to Maltese journalism for many years,” the Labour Party said in a statement.