Bernard Grech Hits Out At TVM Interviewer: ‘It Was Like Being On A Partisan TV Station’
Opposition leader Bernard Grech has hit out at TVM journalist Glen Falzon for the manner in which he conducted a recent interview with him.
“I’m amazed at the Labour Party’s partisan TV station [ONE} but also the national broadcaster, which shouldn’t be partisan,” Grech told a political rally in Nadur today.
“I want to hail the capable and good PBS journalists, technicians and workers who, despite pressure, try and often manage to carry out good work with respect to their duty and the Maltese people.”
“But this week we saw the bare-faced manner in which an interview was carried out, which would make one imagine it was held on a partisan TV station.”
This was a clear reference to his own recent interview with Glen Falzon, a TVM journalist who presents the Friday night show Insights.
During the interview, Grech adopted an aggressive stance, accusing Falzon of asking irrelevant questions, such as about an opinion piece by Times of Malta columnist Kristina Chetcuti.
“You’re asking me this question on national TV but this is the only question ONE TV asked me this week,” Grech had responded. “I answered them so my response is public, but 20 minutes have passed in this interview with the Opposition Leader and you just keep trying to drive a wedge between me and other people.”
In today’s speech, the Opposition leader said “the fight” must be focused on “freeing” the national broadcaster rather than closing down party-owned TV stations, a reference to a court case opened by Lovin Malta which argues that their broadcasting of political propaganda is unconstitutional.
“Join me in this fight to ensure our national broadcaster is truly free, and not seized by the Labour Party whenever it’s in government. Now it’s a bit nicer but everyone’s eyes have opened and everyone realises it’s been seized in a dangerous manner.”
“This is because they can see the PN growing, and whenever the PN grows, all the powers unite to make sure the party doesn’t get where it wants to in the national interest.”