Allied Newspapers will not be taking up EU Presidency PR tender

Yesterday I received this statement from Allied Newspapers Ltd in response to this story. I could not upload it immediately but am doing so now. The company will not be taking up the public relations and marketing job for Malta’s EU presidency, under tender to the government. This is excellent news.

I believe that what happens in these situations is that the tender goes to the next bidder in line, which in this case is the advertising agency owned by Godfrey Grima, his daughter and son-in-law, Associated News Group Ltd, with a bid of €901,970.

So expect to see more of Grima on your television screen, the eternal pundit, touring one talk show after another and telling us how wonderful Muscat and his government are, and what a great journalist he himself is, when his business has been advertising and marketing since the 1970s, promoting everything from Coca-Cola to McDonalds burgers – and now, probably, also Muscat and Malta’s amazing presidency of the European Council.

From Allied Newspapers Ltd:

Further to your story of yesterday entitled “Hillman/Schembri scandal: Prime Minister’s Office gives Allied Newspapers €800,000 tender for EU Presidency marketing and communications”, Allied Newspapers Limited wishes to clarify that the company is no longer participant in the tendering process for “Malta’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2017”. The company has no further comment to make in regard to the contents of your story.

Muscat pundit Godfrey Grima: his Associated News Group was ranked second in the tender approvals process and is next in line now that Allied Newspapers Ltd has dropped out.