Malta’s largest private television production company, Where’s Everybody, has handed termination notices to all its employees, Times of Malta has learnt.
We were expecting some changes but this still came unexpectedly
Sources close to the company said some 40 full-time employees and scores of part-timers were informed of the news last Friday and told by directors that their employment would cease in the first week of July.
WE employees said they were given no specific reason why they were being laid off although they said the company had already told them it intended to use their services on a freelance basis.
“We were expecting some changes following the change in government but this still came unexpectedly,” a TV producer said.
When contacted, Where’s Everybody confirmed that employees were given notice.
“As Where’s Everybody grew since its inception in 1999, the operational remit of each of its directors has become more specialised.
“We are now simply formalising this process which entails the creation of new off-shoot companies reflecting these specialisations,” directors Lou Bondi and PJ Vassallo said in reply to questions.
They said the notice given to their employees was part of this process and the employees who fit into the new structures would be re-engaged.
The individual directors would continue to work together to carry out their original functions through these companies and by sharing resources through Where’s Everybody.
“Specifically, Lou Bondi shall continue to produce and present TV programmes and provide strategic communications consultancy, PJ Vassallo and Mark Vassallo’s focus shall be on production and broadcast and Peppi Azzopardi will continue producing and presenting TV programmes.”
Set up in 1999 as a TV production company, Where’s Everybody is a partnership between TV presenters Mr Azzopardi and Mr Bondi.
For the past years, the company has dominated the broadcasting schedule of PBS – the public broadcaster – and its programmes have become the most popular on local TV.
Xarabank – which has been on air since 1997 – is the flagship of the company and for several years has been the most popular programme on TVM.
Where’s Everybody produces a range of other programmes for TVM including Bondi+, Ħadd Għalik and TV Hemm. In the past decade it diversified its operations and entered other media markets including advertising and PR, TV production, events organising and outside broadcasting services.
Strained relations with PL
Where’s Everybody’s relations with the Labour Party has always been strained, with the party often accusing the producers of being Nationalist stooges. Under the leadership of Alfred Sant, the party had even ordered a total boycott of the company’s programmes.
Still, however, Xarabank retained its audience.
Although under Joseph Muscat’s leadership, Labour’s relations with the company improved, Mr Azzopardi and especially Mr Bondi were regularly accused of political bias.
PBS sources said the State broadcaster is still evaluating the submissions for programmes to put together the next winter television schedule.
Following the change in government, both the board of directors and the editorial board of the national TV station have been completely overhauled. Tonio Portughese has replaced Joe Mizzi as PBS chairman while Joe Sammut has replaced Joe Pirotta as chairman of the editorial board.
The editorial board effectively selects and recommends the programmes for the final decision of the board of directors, which includes Labour’s weekly newspaper former editor Felix Aguis and Martin Fenech, a former PN candidate.