BREAKING/Nationalist Party scraps ‘no candidates on broadcast media’ policy – David Thake to return to Radio 101

Good sense has prevailed. The Nationalist Party has scrapped its disastrously self-harming policy of banning all party candidates from its broadcast media. It has now taken the opposite route of throwing the field wide open to them all, urging them to do what they can in the fight against this corrupt government.

The policy so far made no sense at all, because what exactly is the point of maintaining a radio and television station, with those massive overheads, if not to have your party candidates on both, all the hours God sends, talking about everything that matters, explaining party policy, critiquing the government, and exposing government corruption and wrong-doing?

That’s what party media are for.

That nonsensical policy meant that David Thake’s show, which attracted a considerable audience, was pulled off the air – much to the government’s delight and the anger of his fans. The Nationalist Party and its individual representatives have been besieged by complaints about that ill-conceived move ever since, and the anger hasn’t abated at all in the months since the decision was taken. “Wherever we go we are accosted by people who are irate and demanding to know why we took David off the air,” one of them told this website last week. “They can’t understand why we would have done something like that. They see the decision as crazy and not making sense at all.”

Earlier tonight, Thake – who is a professional-level radio broadcaster and not just ‘a party candidate on the air’ – told this website that he will quit his Switch radio show and return to Radio 101 immediately he is asked to do so and the schedule is sorted. “I am very pleased at the news,” he said.

The policy reversal will also mean that new candidate Salvu Mallia, a seasoned television broadcaster, will be able to produce or host shows for the Nationalist Party’s television station, attracting a much-needed new audience.

The Nationalist Party announced the change in policy tonight, following an “urgent” meeting convened by party leader Simon Busuttil, for all its electoral candidates. “We are strengthening our party media in preparation for the general election,” a party spokesman said. “Simon Busuttil proposed a reversal of the policy, and the party’s administrative council decided tonight that, yes, the policy should be reversed. The party media are now being thrown open to the full participation of all our electoral candidates.”

“To counter the brazen propaganda constantly transmitted by the government and the Labour Party, the media owned by the Nationalist Party will be strengthened in terms of programming, to make sure our message gets through loud and clear,” a statement reported on the party’s online media said tonight.

“The government is spending tax-money like water on propaganda, and also using TVM, its own television and radio stations and L-Orizzont” – the newspaper owned by the General Workers Union – “to brainwash people. So we have got to strengthen our own message and the ways and means of putting it across.

“There are several electoral candidates who have the experience and skill to help the Nationalist Party communicate more effectively. We shall ask them to get on board the party media and do everything they can to explain how and why this is the most corrupt government in Maltese history, and why it should be turfed out in 2018.”