Gwardamanġa Charles Arrigo maltese television
Leave your feedback
LEAVE YOUR FEEDBACK

Video ID: 376

Submitting Feedback

When Malta went quiet for the nation’s first TV broadcast

Description

At St Luke’s Hospital, patients and nurses watched together, while in Gozo people huddled in front of electrical shops in Victoria and Nadur to get a good view.

On 29 September 1962, Malta fell quiet as the country’s first television broadcast, live and direct from Rediffusion House in Gwardamanga, was beamed across the Maltese Islands.

Amid a nationwide hush, the first pictures to come on screen were the Malta Television Service logo, formed from the Maltese Cross.

The distinctive voice of Charles Arrigo then proudly announced: ‘Dan huwa l-Malta Television Service’ and the show was underway.

At the time, television was described as ‘a most remarkable development of modern life’.

However some warned of the problems that it might create.

One critic wrote in a newspaper: ‘One would think that television might interfere with homework.’

Another newspaper article claimed: ‘In the political field, will television give the “telegenic” orator an undue advantage over a less flamboyant but no less thoughtful rival?’

Television sets were a very expensive luxury for most Maltese families and radio remained the dominant form of entertainment well into the 1970s.

In 1975, broadcasting in Malta came under the control of the state-owned Telemalta corporation after decades of being a monopoly in the hands of Rediffusion.

Xandir Malta rules the airwaves throughout the 1980s until Public Broadcasting Services Ltd was set up in 1991.

PBS and now operates three radio stations and two television channels serving Malta and Gozo.

More places from Gwardamanġa

A Maltese Christmas Tradition on Christmas Eve
Gwardamanġa
The procession of Baby Jesus is commonly held on Christmas Eve in the quiet stre...
Remembering the Charlie Chaplin of Malta
Gwardamanġa George Farrugia
This is an excerpt from a comedy series featuring George Farrugia, known as Char...
Celebrating almost 60 years of television in Malta
Gwardamanġa broadcasting in malta
Television in Malta was first introduced in 1957 but the only programmes that co...
Three Maltese acting legends perform together
Gwardamanġa charles thake maltese television
This hilarious footage from the PBS archives shows three of Malta’s best-k...
When Malta went quiet for the nation’s first TV broadcast
Gwardamanġa Charles Arrigo maltese television
At St Luke’s Hospital, patients and nurses watched together, while in Gozo...

Places Nearby

Malta miracle! How Cospicua Church defied the odds during the war
Cospicua National Pilgrimage of the Immaculate Conception
Cospicua is well known for its annual Feast of the Immaculate Conception, which ...
School life in Malta has changed so much since the 1960s
Valletta, Malta school outings
The 1960s were a time of considerable change in Malta, but in the island’s...
The Vulcan plane crash that devastated Zabbar
Zabbar Vincenza Zammit RAF Luqa Vulcan
This is the shocking aftermath of one of the worst aviation disasters in Malta&#...
The history behind Malta’s beloved Chadwick Lakes
Rabat Sir Osbert Chadwick Chadwick Lakes
Chadwick Lakes have long been popular with families who enjoy picnics in the Mal...
Malta’s love of equestrian sports over the years
MARSA horse riding
Horse racing, dressage and showjumping have been popular events in Malta for dec...
Cleaning up Malta more than 60 years ago
Malta clean up malta
Campaigns to make Malta green and clean are nothing new. Communities across the ...
Keeping Maltese traditions alive: All Souls’ Day
Paola all souls day
All Souls’ Day is commemorated in Malta on November 2 each year. Also know...
How Father Christmas arrived in Malta in the 1960s
Luqa Father Christmas christmas in malta
Christmas is a highly celebrated festivity in Malta and Gozo, both for its relig...
Soaking up the sun in Sliema in the Swinging Sixties
Sliema, Malta Sliema
It’s no surprise that Sliema has always been popular. The seafront resort ...
Archive film of one of Malta’s most popular beaches
Ghajn Tuffieha
Summer in Malta means sun, sea and sand. And it appears it has been that way for...
Exploring one of Malta’s oldest pre-historic temple sites
Zebbiegh Malta temples
The Skorba temples are megalithic remains on the northern edge of Zebbiegh and p...
Digging deep to uncover Malta’s ancient history
Dingli
This archive footage from 1966 shows archeologists exploring one of Malta’...