Malta: National final on 20th February

by Stella Floras 74 views

PBS, the Maltese broadcaster, have announced the format of the selection method to be used to determine who will represent the country in the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest. The country's national final will be held on 20th February with 20 acts competing for the golden ticket to Oslo.

For 2010, Malta proceeds with a new selection method rather similar to the one used in 2009 but with a few less heats. 123 songs were submitted to the Maltese broadcaster this time, considerably less than last year due to the fact that PBS rules allowed only one song per singer this year. Foreign songwriters were also excluded (last year participation was allowed for composers from countries where Maltese songrwriters would also have the opportunity to compete).

Out of the 123 entries, an international jury will select 36 on 2nd, 3rd and 4th December. Three days later, the qualifiers will be called once more to perform in front of a different jury this time. Afterwards, and for six consecutive weeks, the semi finalists will perform in sets of six on the weekly TV show show L-Isfida. A mixture of the jury vote and the televote will decide which 20 entries will make it to the final.

The Maltese national final will be held on 20th February and the country's next representative for the Eurovision Song Contest will be selected by televote and jury vote at a 50/50 split.

Stella Floras

Thanks to Johnny Logan and Hold me now I fell in love with the Eurovision Song Contest, a love that's been going strong ever since with undiminished passion. My first memories date back to 1977 and the lyrics of Rock bottom, Dschinghis Khan and A ba ni bi are still engraved in my brain.

I joined esctoday.com in 2006 as a junior editor after being invited by Barry Viniker, I soon became Senior Editor and during the 2007 contest in Helsinki I was appointed Head of Communications. Today I hold the post of Head of Human Resources and I am proud to be working with the best editorial team in the world.