Malta may stage three more MTV concerts

Malta's role as Isle of MTV on July 26 may not have been a one-off - the signing of a three-year contract to occupy the hot spot until 2010 is in the pipeline, pending its financial feasibility.

The cost of the contract is currently being negotiated, a Tourism and Culture Ministry official said yesterday.

MTV recently gave a presentation to the ministry, and if the idea materialises, it could set Malta off on a major marketing exercise that would target the younger generations, associating the island with the strong image of the popular, international, music channel.

Apart from being the chosen location for the annual Isle of MTV festival, the deal would mean a dedicated, year-round website and the running of on-air competitions to promote the event.

The Isle of MTV concert is among MTV's major events, which include its Video Music and Europe Music Awards.

The idea is currently being run past Media Consulta, the Malta Tourism Authority's appointed agency network, to study its financial feasibility and advantages, and it is being hoped that the deal will be concluded shortly, the Tourism and Culture Ministry said. In that case, by January 1, various initiatives would kick off and Malta would start featuring heavily on MTV. Ministry officials said Maltese artistes would also be promoted on the website through the featuring of their music videos.

MTV had approached the Tourism and Culture Ministry right after the Isle of MTV Malta Special, claiming it was one of the best concerts it had ever organised and recognising the island's potential, the ministry official involved in negotiations said.

"Malta has the power to host the best music festival in Europe, with top acts and headliners of that level. (The Malta Special's line-up included Spanish heart-throb Enrique Iglesias, Maroon 5 and Akon on one stage on one night.) Nothing could have beaten the feeling on the ground that evening," he said.

Images of a Malta that appeals to a younger generation - one of Tourism Minister Francis Zammit Dimech's aims - made their way into millions of homes around Europe when MTV aired the concert at the Granaries in Floriana.

The idea was to put Malta across as a destination that appealed to younger tourists - the MTV generation - and as the centre of the entertainment world.

The government had invested €700,000 (Lm300,000) in the Isle of MTV concert, which included €300,000 (Lm130,000) to advertise Malta on its stations across Europe.