TVM, known as Television Malta, is a Maltese public service television station that was launched in 1962. TVM is the pioneer of free-to-air television in Malta and is the oldest surviving television station in the country. TVM has been an important part of Maltese society for decades and has played an integral role in the island’s development as a nation. TVM is the leading TV station in Malta, enjoying the highest number of viewers compared to the rest of Maltese TV stations.
Since September 2021, TVM has been rebranded and the focus of its programmes has become entertainment. Previously TVM also aired talk shows, discussions and news related programs. These have start being aired on TVMs sister channel, TVM News +.
Programming on TVM
TVM boasts a wide variety of programmes that targets all types of audiences. The TVM schedule typically starts at 7am and ends at midnight. Between midnight and 7am repeated programs are aired. Most programmes on TVM are in Maltese whilst the remaining few are in English.
Programmes vary from news bulletins, discussions, children’s programs, live entertainment, TV shows, movies and much more. Whilst live TV shows are very popular with TVM viewers, the most popular time slot of the day is 8pm.
At that time, the daily news bulletin, known as TVM news Malta, is broadcasted. It typically lasts 30 mins followed by some minutes of sports news. The news bulletin on TVM is commonly referred to as ‘tvm news bil malti’, ‘tvm ahbarijiet bil malti’, and ‘tvm ahbarijiet’. ‘Ahbarijiet’ is the Maltese word for ‘news’.
The next most popular time is that right after the daily 8pm news. Whilst different types of programmes are broadcasted at the time, the majority of these are programmes that host discussions.
Personalities on TVM
Over the years TVM developed many Maltese personalities that became favourites with many audiences. These personalities range from TV presenters to actors. Some of the most popular personalities that made a name for themselves at TVM are:
Charles Saliba – Born in 1951, Charles Saliba presented his first television program at TVM in 1972. Since then, he presented many more programs on TVM and other local TV and radio stations.
Gemma Portelli – A famous and loved actress with locals. She played important parts in popular TV shows. Some of these are F’Bahar Wiehed and Fuq Tlieta Toqghod il-Borma.
Peppi Azzopardi – Joseph Azzopardi, widely known as Peppi Azzopardi, is most probably the most popular TV presenter in recent time. From 1997 to 2020 he presented the most popular talk show on the island, Xarabank.
How to Watch TVM
Nowadays TVM can be watched both on TVs and on other digital devices such as computers, laptops, tablets and mobiles. TVM can be watch on TV for free with the installation of a standard digital antenna. It can also be watched by subscribing to the local cable TV companies which are Melita and GO. TVM can also be watched on other digital devices via IPTV and by visiting TVM’s official website which is https://www.tvm.com.mt. Their website also has a section named TVM on demand that includes a database of programmes that show on TVM which can be watched at the user’s leisure. Lastly but not least, you may also watch TVM live streaming by scrolling back at the top of this page and click on the play button.
Seasonality
As with most other TV stations, TVM plans its program lineup on a seasonal basis. Most programs run in Autumn, Winter and Spring. Summer is the season during which most programs pause or stop showing. These are replaced by new programs that are specifically produced for the Summer season. On top of the seasonal programming there are also certain shows that are a mainstay. They keep being shown year after year. For example during Christmas time, more specifically Boxing day, the annual charitable marathon, L-Istrina is broadcasted.