Every sting counts

Thanks to technology, what used to be yesterday's flash-in-the-pan today becomes a Youtube moment. The person who came up with the advertising slogan 'Watch TV from your PC' never knew how right he was.

Let us, for the moment, forget Susan Boyle and Neda, and concentrate on what is happening closer to home.

I cannot shrug off the uncomfortable feeling that the activists' boarding of the Cabo Tinoso Dos was but a publicity stunt, meant to do the rounds of television stations home and abroad, to garner publicity for the cause.

To the shame of all those of us who care about things Maltese, some stations that showed the clips did not know enough to beep out all the profanities.

I say this because, alas, the media were not called when the Greenpeace people were paying a social call on the Kyung Yang, a vessel belonging to a different tuna farming company from the aforementioned boat, having been invited for tea.

I cannot for the life of me understand what, and who, gives these people the right to trespass upon private property in order to 'check' something. By this criterion, anyone wearing a pressure group kit can assume he can check anyone else's property for hidden weapons, contraband, drugs, pornography, or seditious literature.

Perhaps it is time for Malta to place an embargo on Greenpeace activists.

• Many of us in the local media have expressed our solidarity with Charlon Gouder, who was attacked last week. He told me that "most probably" the assault was politically motivated. At this point, I asked him whether he had written, or said, anything more than what he usually did politically, and he said he had not.

Journalists do not only represent freedom of the press, they represent freedom of expression, and of a country.

• I am now at liberty to divulge that the new programme to which I referred to last week, which will go on air on TVM from 6.30 p.m. till just before the 8 p.m. news bulletin, will be called - how original! - Ta' Bundy.

This will be a newsmagazine focusing mainly on culture and current events, because as Mr Bundy insists, "life does not stop during summer". Topics that will be tackled include the laws governing fireworks and beach concessions, and more.

• TVM is, apparently, leaving it rather late in the day to confirm to drama production companies whether or not their shows will be okayed for the coming season.

As a result, many actors are committing themselves to other series, on other stations, and this dearth might have two different outcomes: the newcomers will either prove to be a treasure of hitherto untapped talent - or generate flops that no amount of editing can salvage. We shall have to wait and see.

While on the subject of drama on TVM, it is worth mentioning that on Thursday there will be the final event of the Malta International Short Film Festival.

I am pleased to note that quite a number of Maltese films have been nominated for trophies, and I suppose that the word 'international' in the title is what made the organisers assemble a foreign jury. This includes Jeffrey Hodgson (director of the Geneva Film Festival), Jurgen Kittel (director of the Hamburg Film Festival), and Deanne Edwards (from the Panavision Centre in Britain).

Incidentally, there have been several calls for applications for actors from various drama companies over the past few weeks; the latest one being from V-Squared Productions. Those who are interested are to send an e-mail with relevant details to auditions.vsquared@gmail.com.

• Not long after the idea was mooted, Bicref has produced the Maltese version of the award-winning documentary Waves of Life.

The Biological Conservation Research Foundation has once again offered to allow all local channels to air it without incurring expenses, as a public service and an important contribution to local natural heritage appreciation and conservation.

In fact, this documentary has already been broadcast on Net on June 18, and will be aired on One on July 9 at 8.30 p.m. Other channels still have to take up the invitation.

What is sure is that nobody, now, can fall back on the previous excuse, i.e. that "it is in English and will require sub-titles", for not showing it.

The language question came up again this week on Kellimni Bil-Malti, the RTK Saturday afternoon programme presented by Charles Coleiro and Prof. Manwel Mifsud.

Of the many topics covered, one of them specifically was the website of the national airline. This, to date, does not have a Maltese version, despite the fact that the airline obviously operates from Malta, and that many Maltese people use it.

For shame.

television@timesofmalta.com