Christian Peregin
Charity begins with an iPhone
"Our job is to maximise generosity. People phoned when there were prizes being given out not when there was the entertainment. So we brought out all the prizes." PBS chairman
Most of the entertainment planned for this year's television charity event L-Istrina had to be scrapped some time after the show went on air because the public was only responding with donations when prizes were up for grabs.
Following numerous complaints that the show did not provide enough entertainment, PBS chairman Clare Thake Vassallo said the activities were scrapped to "maximise generosity".
"We have a machine telling us how many phone calls are coming in at any given time. People phoned when there were prizes being given out, not when there was the entertainment. So we brought out all the prizes," she said.
The event eventually raised €1.2 million, which was lower than last year's €1.5 million.
A person who worked on the event but preferred not to be named complained that three hours into the telethon, the PBS management was worried that people were not phoning in at the desired rate when the pre-filmed clips and celebrity challenges were being aired, so the decision was taken to switch to the tried and tested formula of sticking to the prizes.
"All they wanted was to beat last year's figure. So they just turned it into a lottery - one big gambling event. The world is changing, there is a recession going on. They should have known that the figure was going to be lower than last year's. It should not have turned into a lottery though," the unnamed person who contacted The Times said.
When contacted, Take Two, the company that won the tender to organise the event, said they preferred not to make their position official yet.
In the end, about two hours of footage was never screened and many different activities featuring popular personalities had to be cancelled.
Ira Losco was scheduled to ride a mechanical bull, Grace Borg and Eileen Montesin were meant to be drowned in gunk and a number of other personalities were supposed to see how long they could stand being in a sauna fully clothed.
The organisers had prepared a whole arena for activities to be presented by the comedy team Zoo. But after 3 p.m. all the personalities had to be told they did not need to turn up because everything was being scrapped.
The decision to replace the live entertainment and clips with appeals and gift-giving by presenters Peppi Azzopardi and Valerie Vella meant that 12 weeks of hard work went down the drain and two hours of footage was left unaired. It may also have burst the bubble on the idea that L-Istrina is a monument to the generosity of the Maltese people.
But Dr Thake insisted that there was nothing "nasty" with the situation. "People are willing to give more money to try their luck.
At the end of the day, the point is that a number of important charitable organisations, including the Community Chest Fund, got the money they need to work for the rest of the year.
"The event has always been a PBS event, so it is our responsibility to take such decisions on the ground. The aim of the programme is to make money for those in need.
We have 12 hours to raise the highest sum of money possible. Our interest is not to have great television but to make as much money as possible. If we have to choose between seeing a striptease by Miriam Dalli and Francis Zammit Dimech, or €500, we will choose €500."
She added that PBS was hoping to air another programme showing all the clips that were not screened and perhaps rake in more donations. She argued that the sum raised this year was more than that of two years ago, so considering the current difficult financial times, she was surprised by the generous donations.
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charles grech
Jan 1st 2009, 12:05
Once upon a time animal lovers were promised assistance from the yearly fund raising marathon L-ISTRINA. History is a great teacher and we all know tthese were only false promises. Animal lovers have written new lyrics in Maltese for the christmas song Deck the Halls:
ILLISTRINA DAHKU BINA
HAFNA FLUS U XEJN GHALINA
PEPPI, DWARDU, U GWAKKINA ( jew KATRINA)
KUNTENTI GHAX INQDEW BINA?
SOS ANNIMALI
Martin saliba
Dec 31st 2008, 22:13
Seems that finally some people are waking up. I only gave to istrina once and that was on the first time the event took place. I immediatley saw that the organisers only concern was to collect as much money as possible without even considering the hardship they were causing to people who were lured into gambling what little they had in the hope of winning a big prize especially the cars. If the organisers want to be credible and raise more next year they must call the event for what it really is , a prize winning event with the proceeds going to whoever they go to. As for myself i have allready given to the charity of my choice. As far as istrina is concerned i don't consider my money as a contribution but as a gamble.
Enzo Caruana
Dec 31st 2008, 20:06
May I put in a suggestion to PBS. Have a good look at the fund raising Telethon shown on Italian state TV and do your best to turn l-Istrina of 2009 a decent show of solidarity and not a RIDICULOUS fiera tal-parrocca. Tha main mission of state television is to educate and not to encourage people to gamble a donation to win an Ipod or a flat screen.
Richard Galea
Dec 31st 2008, 13:32
We have to be careful and guard against tilting the balance from a generous society to a gambling society.
Christian Zammit
Dec 31st 2008, 12:58
We all agree that L-istrina needs a thorough overhaul. Let's face it, when you have prizes up for grabs, most who give in L-istrina wish deep down that they might win something, even though we all say that we dont. I think that PBS should shelve this tedious programm and try putting their heads together and inventing something more original next year. In the end ITS ALL ABOUT THE MONEY.
Happy New Year to all :-)
M Buttigieg
Dec 31st 2008, 11:56
and what about comments like: 'Aghtu ghax illum int u ghada jien' or like we' ve heard in the past: 'Donate...this is like a health insurance.'...or...wonder of wonders...people who win, would have never, never, never won anything before!
Joseph Schembri
Dec 31st 2008, 11:40
The Wife and I have had a long and heated argument about the potentials of Miriam Dalli and Francis Zammit Dimech as fund raisers, but finally we have agreed that we will donate E500 not to see Dr. Zammit Dimech strip.
Marthese Fenech
Dec 31st 2008, 10:58
I have made a contribution both by phone and by mobile. Whilst the phonecall was acknowledged, of course the person answering the phone by saying thank you for your donation, I must say it is different with the mobile donation. Todate my mobile is indicating that the sms was not sent yet the amount was deducted from my account. There was definitely no acknowldgement, like must other sms donations. This makes wonder whether my sms was even ever considered for this collection turned LOTTERY. All I am after is a Thank You and not any prize - that was not my intention but I see a confusion here. CAN THE ORGANISERS EXPLAIN PLEASE?
Gail
Dec 31st 2008, 10:51
I fully agree with the comments given. I did donate this year and I kept in mind that when i give charity i do not expect anything in return. Charity is charity not aiming for an expensive gift back.Please if this mentality still goes on then either decrease both the expensivness and as well the enormous quantity of the gifts. I wished to see the promised show not the presenters' pleas to phone, phone , phone in return of gifts. I won't watch or even donate next year.
Joseph Agius
Dec 31st 2008, 10:26
it was the most boring strina ever. howver I would have paid 500 euro to watch Miriam strip...and would have paid another 500 euro not to see the ex minister strip!
Jean-Pierre Aquilina
Dec 31st 2008, 10:11
...the activities were scrapped to "maximise generosity" ... "We have a machine telling us how many phone calls are coming in at any given time. People phoned when there were prizes being given out, not when there was the entertainment. So we brought out all the prizes,"
Very generous indeed. The 'fact' that more people call when prizes are dished out demonstrates that people are willing to take a chance rather than to give generously.
M Buttigieg
Dec 31st 2008, 10:02
The truth is that we have become so insensitive to things...to donate in the hope of winning...but I guess this is just another element of the typical Maltese. Just have a look at what people comment about in this paper....against immigrants, in favour of abortion, against the Church, trivial things about politics, against yesterday's peace protest...etc...When you get blogs which include some serious challenging stuff which don't include the above mentioned, people just ignore the article..(Have a look at Fr. Joe's blog...even he once commented)....Let's have a break...and focus on the more important things in life...
Laura Temple
Dec 31st 2008, 09:50
Dr Thake,
If all you want to do is raise money for charity and not to have a good television show then the simple answer is not to put it on TV and to bore people for 12 hours with someone bribing us to phone in and donate with the possibility of winning something. Tv is for people to be entertained, that is it's purpose!!!!
R Micallef
Dec 31st 2008, 09:42
Just a small curiosity...Did the company that won the tender (i.e.Take Two) get paid for preparing the clips and the entertainment? If yes, Dr Thake dont you think it is a waste of money for someone working on something and was not featured? And if not, Dr Thake dont you think it was a waste of time to work that amount of hours for nothing???
Sometimes certain people think that they can rule the world on their own!!! People were also interested in seeing some entertainment to laugh a bit and not seeing only difficult moments in life of others
Charles Micallef
Dec 31st 2008, 09:23
Dear PBS Chairman,
Can I be one of the first to offer E500 to a charity of your choice, if Dr Francis Zammit Dimech aka 'our beloved Cikku" and Miriam Dalli strip on TVM.
I will also bet anyone that they will break any audience viewing record held so far........
Go on put a smile on out faces all in a good cause!
Charles Micallef
O.Grixti
Dec 31st 2008, 09:19
First of all you should be happy with the money collected for these days. But Sorry to say, Istrina , is not any more the Istrina it used to be, to gather the family at home and giving the entertainment everyone is willing to see at the end of the year. It is coming a lottery and if organizers continue to encourage people in doing so, this trend will get stronger. Maybe next year we should make it an Istrina, without presents, and then we will see the real Maltese charity.
But after all money is the most important thing for the people who needs it.
Also it is a charity show, not a show to make promotion; if a sponsor gives you something to help you, there is no need to make adverts about him, it should be given from the heart and remain anonymous and leave open market to all others.
H Gatt
Dec 31st 2008, 09:10
The organisers have only themselves to blame for all this. When they started introducing expensive prizes they brushed aside all protests and simply claimed that the people were generous when the truth is that they only sowed a mentality where one donates money to get an iphone or a car in return. This is not charity! Charity is giving money (or time to help) and getting NOTHING in return except satisfaction at having helped someone who genuinely needs it.
On a lighter note, I would pay in order not to see Zammit Dimech strip, but anyway, if seeing an ex Minister strip is entertainment for some people then it only reflects on the pathetic state of affairs in our country.
tony sacco
Dec 31st 2008, 09:06
The sad thing about " L`ISTRINA " is that both the political parties gather money too a few days before the " L`ISTRINA " event ,as a matter of fact one of them do another one in September, why the political party do it at the same month ,why not in the middle of the year, and leave December for " L`ISTRINA ".
jane mifsud
Dec 31st 2008, 08:57
unfortunately, the sense of giving without expecting anything in return has been thrown out of the window ever since L-Istrina introduced expensive prizes... i don't have anything against l-Istrina at all, but this is a sad and an unfortunate truth. I used to love donating to Kerygma's volleyball marathon. Seeing so many people coming together under the scorching August sun so as to ease other's life by just a fraction was the most noble thing to do. Then i got to know that the players used to start their training sessions in June, but they used to receive their preparatory sheet in April. Pity the marathon had to be stopped because of lack of funds. BRING IT BACK.