Death of Charles Arrigo

The much loved broadcaster Charles Arrigo died this afternoon while doing what he loved best. He dedicated his life to professional broadcasting and was the first person to ever appear on Maltese television. In one of his last interviews, he discussed his rich broadcasting heritage with Ramona Depares and shared his views on the Maltese political media:

..“I’ve been in broadcasting since 1947, many people call me the ‘dean’ of broadcasting,” Charles chuckled. “When I look back on my career it pleases me to know that I was present at the most important happenings, whether as radio or TV commentator. The declaration of independence, Malta being made a republic… These are both events that stand out in my memory and it still thrills me to think: I was there.”

The broadcaster is right. Just look at the postage stamp commemorating the day Malta gained the status of a republic: you will find the president of the day standing on the palace balcony and in the background, Charles stands with all his broadcasting paraphernalia. Like the moment, Charles stands frozen in the memory of time..

“It’s not that I believe that political media has no place. What is a concern is that people who support a particular party often limit themselves to following to that party’s radio or TV station and never get a chance to listen to the other party’s point of view. There should not just be liberalisation of broadcasting, but also of ideas,” he explained, passionate about the subject. Then, of course, there is also the issue of the political media twisting news stories to its own ends...

More on Charles Arrigo by Toni Sant, Gerald Fenech, Joe Grima and The Times; Gruber on Maltese media; Maltese pluralism lagging behind