Failed attempts by Prime Minister Dominic Mintoff to open a national television station (1955-1958)

Abstract

Mr Dominic Mintoff, Prime Minister of Malta between 1955 and 1958 and again between 1971 and 1984, had an ambivalent relationship with journalists, especially with local ones; on the other hand he was much aware of the importance of the media as a tool to get his message across. In fact, during Mr Mintoff’s leadership the Labour Party published newspapers and magazines regularly, in both Maltese and English, and also invested in a printing press. Labour Opinion was the Malta Labour Party’s first newspaper. The article continues to recount Mintoff's struggle with the British authorities, especially the BBC to establish a national television station. Mintoff's efforts were in vain, and with the departure of the British and Malta gaining Independence, the BBC was not involved. However, in 1961, Rediffusion was given the green light to operate a television station in Malta. “This company enjoyed an almost absolute monopoly until 8 January 1973 when Radio Malta was set up and managed by the Malta Broadcasting Authority.” The Broadcasting Authority was set up on 29 September 1961 replacing the Government Broadcasting Board.