Gaming monitors

Malcolm Briffa, head of public relations and strategic projects at Melita plc, was quick to take me to task for what he thought I said in my column of August 29, when I spoke about how unfair it is for football aficionados to have to subscribe to different packages from different companies to get their delectation.

I said, and I quote: “It could be, of course, that there is a tacit agreement between Go and Melita; a newfangled combination of a monopoly and a cartel, which, given the restricted albeit liberalised market that Malta is, could well be happening.”

I never insisted that this was necessarily the case; I merely conjectured about it. It is strange that Go, which gets the occasional bumph from sportscasters, did not feel the need to reiterate this.

• Radio has always been considered the afterthought of broadcasting at PBS. If further proof were needed, it would be enough to note how radio presenters have, for the past couple of schedules, been ignored when the list of invitations for the programmes launch (which this year happened on Friday last) is drawn up.

That said, there were several complaints from those who had been invited, too.

My own invitation, a columnist of the newspaper that has the highest circulation in Malta, was sent by e-mail on Thursday at 4.25 p.m., less than 24 hours before the event itself.

I only got wind of the event when Eileen Montesin was saying on air that her programme was recorded because the launch was happening simultaneously. I called the offices to see whether my invitation had been sent there, despite my having provided my home address because of postal delivery problems.

No tangible invitation had been sent by mail – and it was far too late for me to attend, since I would only have made it to Palazzo Parisio when everyone else would already have left.

Had I been contacted by phone, as some people were when they did not respond to the RSVP proposal, I would have twigged to the fact that something was amiss. Some of the guests were told that there had been a problem with the servers, and that is why the invitations had been sent out late (on the Tuesday). I only access the e-mail box – the address of which is at the end of this column – when I am compiling the new piece, in order to reply to correspondence connected with it.

It is not bon ton to issue invitations less than 24 hours before an event, unless it’s a come-as-you-are shindig. This carries the tacit assumption that you will drop all other plans in order to be at the happening – or, worse, that the people who send it are hoping you will not be able to make it.

MP Charlò Bonnici once said PBS had to become a benchmark for other stations. On this occasion, I am sad to say, it has failed miserably on several counts. I can only assume there is a lack of communications between the Management Secretariat and the Public Relations Department. It would be interesting to discover whether any of those not invited – or those who were, but apparently as an afterthought – have written letters of complaint to the chairman of PBS.

Be that as it may, a fleeting look at the new TVM schedules indicates that this time around they have been compiled by someone who is a programmer, and not someone who is an accountant, with one eye on the budget, as the last two were.

It was easy to see how the schedules did not flow, perhaps because they were about money and competing with similar programmes on other channels (and the head-hunting of audiences) rather than pleasing the viewership.

• I had forborne from commenting about the contradictions in terms of Pastor Nisrani and Pastor Kattoliku – even though I had contacted the stations where the phrases were being bandied about, and yet newscasters kept on lobbing it back and forth.

But last week appears to have been a great one with which to close the silly season, so it bears a mention after all, together with jewels such as ‘azzjoni ta’ driegħu’ (the action of his arms); ‘mhux relatati magħhom’ (not related to them, such as family); ‘chairmans’; and the worst one of all ‘jilgħab il-kitarra’ (playing the guitar). This, apart from the incessant ‘ser issir tombla ġo Ħaż-Żabbar’ litany.

• I was informed that the stringing of newspaper headlines I mentioned last week was not done by the person I mentioned. Consequently, I have apologised to this person, and publicly... unfortunately she chose to ignore my apology.

Be that as it may, I still believe that courtesy is a two-way street; I find it sad that when Radju Malta failed to broadcast two morning news bulletins, no word of apology to listeners was forthcoming; and yet, for my mistake I was chastised (perhaps because of circumstances that have nothing to do with me).

• Pandora will contain exclusive footage of what are supposed to be Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) from the world over – including one purportedly shot over Malta in 2002, included in two editions of the series.

There is an interview with the person who filmed it, whose identity will only be divulged in the second programme. There will also be related documentaries, vox pops, and other interviews about UFOs and aliens.

• Most of the previews of forthcoming drama series I have watched so far seem to indicate that the scriptwriters have been taking a ‘How to Write of Sex, Drugs and Rock ’n’ Roll’ correspondence course.

I believe there will come a time when the only wholesome productions will be the clips in Sejjaħtli and Qalbinnies, unless it’s regurgitated comedy we’re after.

television@timesofmalta.com