Salvino Busuttil writes:
A refined and a thorough media professional, Manni Spiteri was a leading pioneer in radio and television programmes. Radiating a quiet but highly informed demeanour, his main talent, and he had many, was his courageous readiness to embark on new projects.
He understood the risks of live television transmissions, and, although we were in the late 1960s in the early days of using that instrument, he quickly mastered the intricacies and processes required, with an innate superb quality of adapting rapidly to novel circumstances and situations, in the studio and outside.
He introduced direct on-site transmissions even with the very modest means and assets of the local public media set-up.
We worked together closely on a number of programmes that he invited me to fashion and present, notably Retina and Rendez-vous, which, one was told, were highly successful.
In the Retina series, Manni and I conjured a number of programmes covering Maltese economic affairs at the time; this included filming on a number of locations from a luzzu (for a fisheries programme) and inside a farm (for the one on agriculture).
The farmer whom I interviewed turned up on his fields in his ‘Sunday best’ suit and was not easily persuaded to don his normal farmer’s attire. In these circumstances, Manni endeared himself to the interviewee by his gift of gentle dialogue.
In the Rendez-vous programmes, which had started earlier under the guidance of J.G.Vassallo, then a leading light at Television House, Manni was uniquely supportive of my chairmanship of the live discussions. Invariably he stood by me in the choice of panel members and of the themes treated.
Personalities like Eddie Fenech Adami, Lino Spiteri, Karm Farrugia, and the late Paul Mallia and George Agius, brought to the programme not only their expertise but also a communicative verve which Manni was able to strengthen and develop.
My memory of Manni is of a distinguished and polished gentleman, immune to flattery but utterly and humbly devoted to his delicate task.
At all times, I found in him that rare search for excellence, come what may. Public broadcasting and television will miss him, for we are all poorer without him.
He was one of the makers of modern Malta.