Why is Anton Attard discussing PBS shows with Manuel Mallia’s head of secretariat?
As though it’s not bad enough that Silvio Scerri (head of the Police, Army and Broadcasting Minister’s secretariat) and Anton Attard (PBS chief) have been fixing and fudging things between them for ages – most spectacularly the million-euro deals with NNG promotions by which the government ‘bought’ standing-room for the general public at Joseph Calleja’s concerts. All that money was forced out of the Malta Tourism Authority’s budget.
The conflicts of interest here are disgusting, really disgusting. Running PBS while running NNG Promotions – working as head of secretariat to the police, army and broadcasting minister while pretending you have divested yourself of your interest in Nexos, which lights all the big PBS productions.
Sack them all, kif xebbughna. Anton Attard’s behaviour is particularly revolting because it shows how unprincipled he is and how he will do anything to keep sucking at that public teat. His sister is married to Beppe Fenech Adami, deputy PN leader, but he gets into bed with scum like Silvio Scerri (and this is not a reference to his politics) ghax kullhadd irid jiekol hux. Well, that sort of money buys a hell of a lot of food.
Here’s Anton Attard celebrating at the song contest last weekend with the Labour Super One crowd, including the prime minister’s chief of communications, Kurt Farrugia – some people will do anything for a big buck
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http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2014-11-25/local-news/PBS-CEO-says-he-discusses-programme-content-with-Silvio-Scerri-because-he-knows-the-medium-6736126336
Silvio Scerri jigi spiss jiltaqa ma’ Anton Attard, ma’ Reno Bugeja u ma’ kbarat ohrajn fil-PBS.
Kullhadd jaf li hu qieghed imexxi u jsir dak li jghid hu.
Anton Attard huwa pupu f’idejhom. Zammewh taparsi zammew wiehed Nazzjonalist u jaghmlu bih li jridu.
Hu qieghed ipappaija tajjeb maghom. Anka x’johrog fl-ahbarijiet u fuq il-website jindahlu u gieli direttament minn Kastilja.
Not surprising, but disgusting anyhow.
Anton Attard is nothing but a cheap (expensive?) opportunist.
I was disgusted with the way this year’s Eurovision song contest had a Taghna Lkoll feel throughout the entire week. I couldn’t care less if the judges were bribed or not, it was obvious for a long time who the winner was going to be. I just wished they kept politics out of it.
For me the best song won. Surely one didn’t expect the nuns, Jessica Fandango or the Gianluca & friends act to win!
Although I agree on your first sentence
The ombudsman should go into this and investigate what happened at the festival.
If the judges were bribed and tipped on how to vote, voting should be carried out again in a fair manner and by judges who are in the music business. The judges chosen, besides being bribed and corrupt, know nothing about music.
Besides, many people do not like the “winning” song and had other preferences. In my opinion the best song did not win. There were many better songs. Some were not even allowed to reach the final and were eliminated in the semi finals on Friday.
I think Amber is a very good singer and she had a very good song. That was not the point I was making.
But in this festival it’s not always the best song that wins. 2011 Richard Edwards had the best song but Glenn Vella did win. The following year everyone was for Claudia Faniello but the judges decided for Kurt Calleja. And when Gianluca won, it was obvious to most that Kevin Borg had the best song. So it’s been like that in recent years. And if I’m not mistaken Anton Attard was in charge during these 3 festivals.
And yes Natalie. You suggested that Amber won because of politics. Re-read what you wrote.
[Daphne – PLEASE DON’T TURN THIS THREAD INTO A DEBATE ABOUT THE SONG CONTEST PARTICIPANTS, JUDGES AND WINNERS. THEY ARE NOT IMPORTANT.]
You’re right, Daphne. I just wanted to keep this blog’s spirit. Proof not assumptions. Keep up the good work.
[Daphne – It’s not so much that as how the song contest and Eurovision are just so irrelevant in the scheme of things. I don’t know why people obsess about it.]
I stand to disagree Daphne. We will not turn this discussion into a Eurosong thread but if things are not right done the right way it gives a more clear picture of the person you’re discussing here. Amber won with the best song. That was an easy one. However people only listened to the 19 songs which Anton chose to compete with Amber. Where they the best to be chosen? Only Anton knows. Because if you put 19 mediocre songs with a quality one the outcome can be quite predictable. Let’s not forget that a foreign two years ago announced Amber as the winner before the results were out. Coincidence? I say not. And if I remember well in 2011 when Anton was already CEO at PBS a backing vocalist from the winning song was replaced by Amber. Rumor has it that this year ‘someone’ wanted to send Ira Losco at all costs until Jason Micallef put his feet down and had it his way. For once I am on Micallef’s side.
Eurovision? I’ll vote for anything with tits. Conchita’s out.
I tend to agree with Lupin.
The point is that an injustice is being carried out each year against the other singers. This is corruption too and we should fight corruption at all levels. Where injustices are carried out, people suffer. For the singers and song writers, the festival is certainly not irrelevant.
Amber has always been given preferential treatment. It was in 2012 when Kurt Calleja won, that one of the backing vocalists was replaced by Amber.This was very unjust on the girl who was replaced.
In 2013 as Lupin explained a foreign journalist announced on internet that Amber won while people were still voting. I suspect that he knew that the festival was fixed so that Amber would win and he did this purposely to ruin their plans… successfully.
It seems that many singers and song writers are aware of the corrupt way the “festival” is held but are afraid to speak out because of repercussions. They are afraid that they would be left out of the festival the following year.
[Daphne – I am SO not interested in song festivals, tacky singers, this kind of bitchy chanteuse competition and above all, the Eurovision song contest. Please drop it. It’s a Maltese fixation and it’s utterly, utterly pointless. Stamp collecting is more interesting. Britain has Pop Idol and Britain’s Got Talent and we have ‘song for Europe’. And honestly, who gives a damn. Where have all the Maltese singers ended up anyway – one of them is currently looking for garages on a government stipend. Ira Losco is still trying to make it at 40. Chiara has disappeared into her zarbun and I can’t for the life of me remember any of the others.]
40? Tsk tsk. 28. They’re all 28. Joseph Calleja’s been 28 for about ten years now.
You’re missing the point Daphne. Your reders here are bringing to you attention the very dubious manner in which things are conducted. As Just Me correctly pointed composers are silenced through fear. And let’s not forget who wrote the winning song. Elton Zarb. Twice handpicked rather than through competition to write the representative song at the Junior Eurovision. What a coincidence.
[Daphne – Who cares. Handbags at dawn and all that. I’m not missing the point. I’m just telling you it’s not important. What IS important is the expenditure of public money on these festivals and the corruption involved in that expenditure. Apart from that, the hairdressers, make-up artists and singers can scratch each other’s eyes out and Tony Zarb’s son can trough up all the songs and awards. This is all so Azerbaijan – and I don’t mean just the corruption.]
Song festivals and beauty contests.
Etc.
Very ‘qabda vojta’ territory.
Me, I love Eurovision. It’s like a geography lesson with tits.
What happened to Gorg Azzopardi l-Makk ?
Taghna Lkoll:
Mr Attard said that principle permanent secretary Mario Cutajar requested that Mr Vella’s secondment to PBS be revoked.
Asked by Andrew Borg Cardona about journalists Brendon Pisani, Rodney Vassallo and Dorothy Falzon, Mr Attard said they had all been employed by PBS following a public call and previously worked with One TV. Asked about Norma Saliba, he said she was seconded from MEUSEC at the request of the head of news.
http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2014-11-25/local-news/PBS-CEO-says-he-discusses-programme-content-with-Silvio-Scerri-because-he-knows-the-medium-6736126336
He’s been at PBS while still running NNG for ages though – 2010 or 2011 if I’m not mistaken. Previous administration should have seen to this conflict of interest too I believe.
Noted.
What gave you the impression that the previous administration was squeaky clean?
Why do you think that some people within the PN would dearly love to see Busuttil fail?
My only hope is that Simon Busuttil keeps to his promise to clean out the stables because only then will the PN have a slim hope of being in government any time soon.
They look like a bunch of creepy Undead in that picture.
Conflict of interest in PBS is rampant.
Did you know that one of Where’s Everybody’s directors, Dr Mark Vassallo. is also the lawyer of PBS?
And he’s also Minister Chris Cardona’s law firm partner. Tagħna lkoll or Tagħna f’tagħna?
His wife and his sister-in-law always paste their Facebook walls with photos taken with ‘celebrities’ after concerts. U dawn iriduha ta’ Nazzjonalisti.
When you get in bed with Labour scum to the detriment of principles, you cease to be Nationalist.
Get that, Bondi?
Bondi was always an opportunationalist.
Regretfully he wasn’t the only one.
Why is Net TV running advertisements promoting the budget. Money of course.
One TV did that too but they were clever. They ran anti-budget propaganda before and after the spots.
Those guys make a wonderful opposition and a lousy government, the PN make a lousy opposition and a decent government but such is life.
Success is measured with results. Gaia was the right pick and we won the Eurovision for the first time ever; we experienced an international show in Malta; Anton Attard left NET TV and we can now see the state of the station; NNG have been putting up the best live shows in Malta which you seemed to have well attended/enjoyed. What’s wrong with Amber now? Anton Attard seemed to be one of the few who survived…..why? Did you expect him to resign because Labour took charge? Could it not be because he’s the best there is in audio-visual?
[Daphne – Yes, I did expect him to resign when Labour took office, for the simple reason that professionals do not work in circumstances like those and under the pressure of such interference. It’s not a professional environment, but then I expect he’s not a professional or he wouldn’t be there.]
Of course he’s not professional. Would they have kept him otherwise?
Can anyone imagine the late Manni Spiteri hanging on with that lot?
Anton Attard vera waqa baxx. Niftakkru l-iskola, kont narah li kellu mohhu tajjeb, iktar minn tieghi. Issa nahseb li kont zbaljat ghax hu spicca juza lsienu, mentri jien kontinwament nuza mohhi minghajr ma nilghaq lil hadd.
His next programme on TVM – SKIPFEST
Make that ‘Shitfest’
Anton Attard sharked his way through the Net TV hierarchy because of who he was, rather than what he was capable of delivering.
Did he deliver? Yes, but at the expense of people who had more experience and technical know-how, and who were sidelined as a result. And I know what I am saying as I was an ‘insider’ at the time.
Why he found himself in PBS is again nothing more than a result of his political connections. What might baffle some is why he was left notwithstanding the subtle but nevertheless anti-Labour campaign carried out by PBS pre-2013.
And the answer to that lies in the strength of the loyalties (read business connections) between himself and Scerri. These loyalties were strong enough to leave Attard in office.
Daphne, Amber’s win in the Eurovision becomes extremely relevant to this point when considering the ties she has with PBS CEO, ties that everyone in the scene is aware of.