The head of the Labour Party's radio and TV station, former PL general secretary Jason Micallef, has declared that should Labour be elected to government, the management of PBS should ensure that broadcaster Peppi Azzopardi is removed from the state broadcaster.
Mr Micallef made his comment in an article on l-orizzont yesterday.
"Let us no longer beat around the bush, and I want to make it clear. Should there be a Labour government after the next general election, those entrusted with the running of PBS should ensure that Joe Azzopardi is removed from the national station.
"His direct, blatant political involvement makes his unsuitable to present current affairs programmes on the state broadcaster," Mr Micallef said.
In his article Mr Micallef hit out at Mr Azzopardi and Lou Bondi' for political involvement.
He recalled how after the 2003 referendum and subsequent general election, the PL called a boycott of their company Where's Everybody.
However justified the PL's reasons, the PL decision was wrong, Mr Micallef said, and he had, as PL General Secretary, worked to have been repealed.
He had also worked to remove the animosity between the Xarabank team and then PL leader Alfred Sant.
However Mr Azzopardi was back to his tricks again in 2008 and his pro-PN actions were clear once more, Mr Micallef said. That came under sharper focus when it was recently revealed that Mr Azzopardi had 'coached' Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando before a televised press conference days before the last general election, Mr Micallef said.
PEPPI AZZOPARDI'S REACTION
In a reaction, Mr Azzopardi said Xarabank was the most popular programme on local and foreign stations since its inception 14 years ago. It generated revenue for PBS and had won every award from the Broadcasting Authority, the Institute of Journalists and the Malta TV Awards.
In addition, throughout the 14 years, the Broadcasting Authority had always given Xarabank a clean bill of health as far as impartiality and balance are concerned.
"Yet Jason Micallef is insisting on taking Xarabank off the air once he has the power to do so. The only relevant question is this: Why?" Mr Azzopardi said.
Full article - http://www.orizzont.com.mt/oldarticles/article82122.html