All change: Zammit claims interference to leave PBS, Scerri strikes deal with WE Media

The TVM presenter Quinton Scerri has struck a deal with WE Media to take over its new production Topik, to be broadcast on the new PBS news channel TVM News+.

Scerri is ostensibly replacing WE Media’s chief preseter Mark Laurence Zammit, who claimed interference from the public broadcaster as his reason for stepping down from WE Media’s popular discussion programme L-Erbgħa Fost il-Ġimġħa.

Scerri, a former Labour mayor of Żabbar, joined TVM to present both its flagship daytime chat programme as well as Popolin. Topik will be broadcast on Wednesday and Friday evenings.

Scerri is also a partner in the firm Beyond Strategic Consultants, together with the One TV presenter and radio host Clint Bajada. Bajada runs the Maltese-language news website Stradarjali.com.

Zammit made the announcement on Sunday morning through Facebook, saying that he will move away from the Public Broadcasting Services (PBS) and instead opting for a position with the Times of Malta. “In the past few months I experienced a lot of interference from PBS, and this interference has not been allowing me the freedom to work in line with my journalistic principles, and it has clearly undermined my loyalty to the audience.”

He described the move as “the hardest decision of my life”, saying that hosting a television programme had been the biggest dream of his life. “But even the biggest dream becomes a nightmare if you don't live it well and by your conscience.”

He will instead continue his journalism career with the Times of Malta as from Monday. He thanked the production team behind L-Erbgħa fost il-Ġimgħa, as well as the company WE Media, for allowing him the space to grow.

“But most of all I thank the thousands of people who have followed us every week. Only ten weeks after the start of the program, a survey by the Broadcasting Authority had already confirmed that as a journalism and discussion program, L-Erbgħa fost il-Ġimgħa is one of the Malta and Gozo’s favourite programmes.”

Meanwhile, L-Erbgħa Fost il-Ġimgħa will be replaced by a new discussion show called Topik, which is expected to debut this autumn.

The show will also be produced by WE Media, and will instead be hosted by Quinton Scerri.

It will replace L-Erbgħa Fost il-Ġimgħa and Popolin, and will air twice a week on Wednesday and Friday nights.