25 years ago - The Times

Wednesday, May 11, 1994

Broadcasting Authority not prepared to tolerate lowering of standards

The Broadcasting Authority has expressed concern in its report for 1993 about poor standards on some radio stations and has complained that some programmes verged on defamation and vulgarity.

Poor programme standards come up repeatedly in the lavish 92-page report, and it is revealed that the Broadcasting Authority is drawing up a code on general programming that will provide guidelines on violence, good taste and other matters which might affect children and young persons in particular.

The authority said that during the period immediately following the advent of pluralism, physical growth and development were primary concerns for the new stations.

As a result, some private broadcasters gave scant attention to the programme policy which the authority had asked them to follow.

“The time has come when attitudes should change and new priorities established,” the authority said.

“For both public and private broadcasters, the primary emphasis must be placed on programming and priority must be given to the development of more varied, more balanced and better fare by all stations concerned.”

Half a century ago - Sunday Times of Malta

Sunday, May 11, 1969

Presentation of awards to Drydocks apprentices

Speaking yesterday at the fourth annual presentation of awards to apprentices of the Malta Drydocks Corporation, Mr A. Degiovanni, training officer, said that an “average of 86 per cent had passed examinations of the City and Guilds of London Institute and other examining bodies, in the branches of mechanical, electrical, fabrication and shipbuilding engineering.”

To improve the standards of skill and knowledge, many changes had been made in the old apprenticeship scheme introduced in 1984 and to improve their system of trade allocations, the first stage of training was changed to give apprentices a longer period of familiarisation with a selection of different trades and as a better opportunity to assess and test their practical skill and technical knowledge in each trade or trade group.

MUFC’s chairman visit

Mr M. C. Morton and Mr D. C. King, chairman and general secretary respectively of the Malta United Film Corporation Ltd, arrived by air yesterday for the annual visit to their branch in Malta.