PBS Executive Chairman leaves post without successor

PBS executive chairman Mark Sammut will be leaving his post. 

Sources who spoke to MaltaToday said Sammut's departure comes following a weeks-long absence.

Before the 2013 election, Sammut was known to be a close confidante to ex-finance minister and Nationalist leader contender John Dalli. 

Sammut will be remembered for removing Norma Saliba - now standing for the post of Labour Party president - from head of news and appointing PBS' CEO as the registered editor of PBS. The national broadcaster still has no official editor who runs the newsroom. 

Under Sammut the station introduced two new stations TVMNews+ and TVMsports. During his time, PBS continued to be plagued by criticism from the Nationalist Party for biased news reporting.

Government sources told MaltaToday that no candidates had been found to replace Mark Sammut.  Earlier reports that the post would be taken up by Film Commissioner Johann Grech were denied.

When asked for a comment, Grech said that his reported appointment was news to him, and that he is, "completely focused on the film industry."