Malta will decide upon its entrant for the next Eurovision Song Contest through a process similar to the past two editions of the Maltese selection. Although the selection process will be much the same as that organised in the last two years, the national broadcaster PBS is expected to make drastic changes towards the Malta Eurosong 2011.

Close sources to esctoday.com said that PBS will start broadcasting its selection in a few weeks time. This means that the semi-final phase will go on air in a weekly television show broadcasted on the national television station. The number of entries that will make it to the second phase is yet to be decided. The probability is that the songs that will make it to the second phase will be less than those stipulated in the past two editions.

According to the local website escflashmalta.com the rules of the next Maltese selection are expected to come out later on this month but PBS already hinted how the selection process will shape up. The next selection is open even to foreign writers but only Maltese citizens can participate as singers. Foreign composers and authors can submit up to one song while local song writers can compete with up to four songs.

Singers can submit up to two songs although when the number is short listed to appear on the weekly television show they can perform only one song which receives the highest placing by the jury. Sixteen songs will make it to the final in which twelve of them will qualify by a panel of jurors and three more will advance by the public vote. The last spot is reserved for the winner of last year’s talent television show, Sfida. Should the winner of Sfida opt not to participate the spot will be taken by another song selected by the public. The Maltese national final is expected to take place in January or February

In the last Eurovision Song Contest Malta was represented by Thea Garrett with the song My Dream. The eighteen year old singer was seven points short from reaching the top ten in the first semi-final thus Malta did not qualify to the final.