As we reported yesterday, Portuguese magazine TV 7 Dias wrote that Festival da Canção would return as format to select the Portuguese representative for the 2005 Eurovision Song Contest. After all, RTP reacted on the news and gave us a different view on the matter.

Nuno Figueria, the producer who was responsible for the Portuguese participation at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2004, told António Teixeira, President of OGAE Portugal, that due to budget restrictions the selection of the performer and song that will represent Portugal at the 2005 Eurovision Song Contest will most likely be done through an invitation to a known author and/or performer.

Therefore, the Portuguese representative will not be selected through the Festival da Canção, nor through Operação Triunfo. However, the final decision of RTP has not yet been taken. RTP will decide by the end of this month.