Monday, 28th April 2008
Hamilton's 'no deal'
That Peppi Azzopardi (Hamilton's Deal, April 23) and his fellow director/programme presenter on the Where's Everybody? board are diehard Nationalists is common knowledge to everybody. And let me hastily add that there is nothing wrong with this. In a democratic country like ours everyone has a right to his or her opinion. In this context this gentleman also has a right to, as he stated previously, have a favourite candidate in the race for the Malta Labour Party leadership. Perhaps he would be kind enough and divulge this person's name. There are many subjects which I humbly suggested be open for discussion on his programme, yet he only mentions one that was briefly referred to during his electoral "post mortem" programme.
As for Mr Azzopardi's bias during Xarabank, one has only to look at his body language when interviewing Alfred Sant and compare it to when he posed questions to Lawrence Gonzi.
Mr Azzopardi sarcastically remarks that it could be the case that I am very busy on Friday evenings and consequently am not aware of what Xarabank is discussing. My God, the arrogance of this man! Is he not aware that there are other local stations and countless other satellite and cable channels one has a choice of watching on a Friday evening? Must I be brainwashed into watching his - yes I will repeat it - politically-biased programme?
Mr Azzopardi, I have news for you and others of your ilk. I never formed part of Dr Sant's kitchen Cabinet as you and many others like to imply.
I would like to refer Mr Azzopardi to My Agenda column in The Times of June 7 last year and I will quote "... there are so many spins currently making the rounds all regarding yours truly that I simply cannot go on ignoring them... suddenly I was dubbed one of six wise men and a member of a phantom kitchen Cabinet spin - well I am still learning how to master the perfect breakfast... "
It seems because of his many various commitments our Mr Azzopardi missed out on my denial - now let him say that I am being arrogant but it seems he does read the column otherwise he wouldn't have answered, would he?
He states that I seem to be mixing up programmes and should refer to Bondi Plus and not Xarabank. For my money these two programmes are one and the same thing, both orchestrated by the same stable - the Where's Everybody? production house and studio.
The two go together like peaches and cream. None of them will contradict the other. The important thing to them is that yearly they are earning about €652,225 (Lm280,000) from the taxpayers' money via PBS and this is not including income generated also from the licence paying public through Deal or No Deal, Tikka, Bomba and Ħadd Għalik to mention just four other WE originated programmes all broadcast on the Public Broadcasting Services channel. Mr Azzopardi would like me to host him and Jason Micallef on my programme Bla Aġenda in order to participate in what he describes as "a much coveted event". Sorry but... no deal.
The reason being that Bla Aġenda strives to entertain, educate and inform the viewers while his programme is out to attack, confront and antagonise. There is absolutely no comparison in style.
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Comments
However, you continue by stating "This certainly proves that it is not a biased program because I cannot imagine that all the viewers come from one particular party".
It proves nothing of the sort; if anything, it shows that people seem to enjoy 'TV spazzatura'. Many people watch the 'Jerry Springer Show'. It is certainly extremely popular; however, by no stretch of the imagination can it be called a 'quality' programme.
Popularity has absolutely nothing to do with quality.
As for bias - and democracy, since for some reason you chose to invoke it - nobody would bat an eyelid if Xarabank were to be presented on NetTV. It would fit in nicely and would 'balance' similar shows on OneTV.
BUT programmes on state television,ought not to be so blatantly slanted - unless, of course, PBS officially changes its name to NetTV-2.
Xarabank and Bondi plus are so PN biased that in the public eye are seen as ridiculous and even counterproductive to the PN.
It appears that even PBS is realising how ridiculous the situation had become and are trying a balancing act with Reno Bugeja's 'Disset' and Saviour Balzan's 'Reporter'. Both shows are professionally presented and respect our intelligence. Viva PBS for Disset and Reporter abasso for Xarabank and Bondi+
Michael J. Agius, Florida
If people in Malta want to watch local programmes such as Xarabank, go ahead! If people are not interested in a programme, that programme will die a natural death.
We all have our agendas - the problem is that some people's agendas become state agendas, hence using our money.
I, personally, wouldn't mind if PBS had to close its doors, and this simply because of two reasons: basically, we have enough local stations as well as foreign ones to keep us well-supplied. Secondly, and more importantly, this country of ours is so immersed in politics that we cannot ever hope to reach a mature stage in which we can really be un-biased. So, what the hell, just close its doors and like that, everyone will be happy - the taxpayer first and foremost!
Once he invited me to participate and a few days before the show I was asked to attend for a meeting to familiarise himself with my views. During the actual show I was only allowed half a sentence and he shut me up and tried to make me look a fool nationwide. It was clear that my opinion did not do justice to his agenda.Never again.