Ricky relegated to late-night TVM slot, but the money keeps rolling in

Ricky Caruana’s controversial discussion programme on state TV has been moved to an 11 pm slot, keeping the presenter on the public broadcaster’s schedule while removing him from prime time.

TVM announced that the programme will air from October under the title ‘Wara l-Ħdax ma’ Ricky’.

The announcement drew ridicule, with commenters taking to TVM’s social media to question both Caruana’s credibility and the national broadcaster’s standards.

PBS sources told The Shift that the scheduling decision followed mounting pressure, including from within the Labour Party, to remove the programme altogether.

The Office of the Prime Minister, acting on Robert Abela’s instructions, instead opted to retain it in a later slot, imposing the decision on PBS and its editorial board, headed by Englebert Grech and veteran journalist Reno Bugeja.

The arrangement leaves Caruana on publicly funded television despite the controversy surrounding his political campaigning and breach of PBS’s own code of ethics.

PBS sources, who insisted that the station’s top brass wanted to end the programme, told The Shift that a later transmission time does nothing to resolve the underlying questions about impartiality or the use of public money.

Even the Minister responsible for PBS, Malcolm Agius Galea, was overruled.

The Shift is informed that Caruana receives thousands of euros a month from PBS coffers for his low-quality programme.

The Shift reported how Caruana had promoted Labour candidates and campaign activities while presenting current affairs on TVM. His public activity included attending rallies and praising politicians on social media.

PBS’s guidelines require current-affairs presenters to preserve their impartiality beyond the studio. They also prohibit public political endorsements.

His lucrative financial arrangements also remain concealed. In November, PBS refused a Freedom of Information request seeking contracts involving independent producers and presenters, including Caruana.

PBS chief executive Keith Chetcuti cited commercial sensitivity and trade secrets.

Laughter reactions outnumbered likes on TVM’s social media announcement of the change to Ricky’s programme schedule.

Commenters mocked TVM and Caruana, with several welcoming the late hour because they would be asleep. Others questioned his neutrality or accused TVM of lowering its standards.

One commenter’s preference for watching a switched-off television attracted hundreds of reactions.