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The first cheque my writing ever earned me was for the princely sum of £5. I received it for a short story broadcast on Rediffusion when I was still in my early teens.

I was pleased to see that this approach - encouraging people with talent but no money - is behind the National Short Story Competition being organised by One Productions. The facilities and resources of the company, inclusive of technology and actors, will be placed at the disposition of those whose ambitions would otherwise have remained just pie in the sky.

When I went to the launch last Tuesday, however, I was aghast and disappointed to see that Allied Newspapers was the only medium represented that was not affiliated with the Labour Party.

It would seem that the Great Political Divide is still alive and kicking; participating in anything organised by a branch of any political party that is not the one supported by the entity for which the individual works is tantamount to sleeping with the enemy, for some people.

This contest begins at the opposite end from where the Malta Short Film festival commences. Indeed, Mark Doneo told me: "The current International Short Film Festival is a brilliant idea. However, our concept is totally different from that of Tony Parnis and Joyce Grech. My main target is obtaining scripts, however rudimentary they may be, and not the finished, polished product. Once this happens, we will begin producing them to have a series of locally-produced shorts."

Technically, this means that even handwritten, coffee-stained drafts will be eligible, as long as the content provides onscreen footage of not less than five minutes but no more than 10. Preferably, all submissions will be sent in as screenplays - however, seeing that it is not for everyone to write dialogue, it is up to the discretion of the author as to how to send in his manuscript.

An independent panel of judges made up of academics, media personalities, and members of the public, will select works that will go into production after the results are announced. The short flick we were shown as a teaser/example consisted of very little dialogue. To watch the video click here: www.one.com.mt/index.php?id=629. From the site you can track back to find the regulations and entry forms.

Bear in mind that it has not yet been decided whether the shorts will be screened before or after the watershed 9 p.m., so it would be preferable to play safe with regard to content.

It is planned that the series will eventually have its own slot in the schedule, with one-offs sporadically being used as fillers.

• Pjazza is all set to go. Angie Laus and Peter Carbonaro have been run off their feet these last three months, auditioning singers and dancers, and overseeing the set and costume design. The programme will go on air on TVM on Friday nights, during the Xarabank hiatus.

There will be a slight change in the format this year, for the programme will be broadcast from the Where's Everybody studios. I am told that one of the main attractions is a pool - and that it will be an entertaining night out for people who choose to be there.

Joe Brown has an 11-piece band, and resident singers will be Ludwig and Olivia Lewis. However, there will be guests galore; and teams will be competing against one another for kudos.

Where's Everybody teams are currently haunting the streets, asking people what they think of the aforementioned team leaders. These clips will be shown during the series.

During our meeting, Laus told me: "I am so looking forward to this experience. We compiled the names and addresses of all those who had written to us over the course of the previous programmes, saying they wanted to be a part of the next one. And then we surprised them by calling them in for auditions. I wish I had a webcam and a recorder on when we called back those who had been successful. This year, the group dynamics are exceptional."

• I cannot end without referring to the Susan Boyle furore.

When I blogged about her on timesofmalta.com, I was very, very careful to choose my words. Some sections of the local and foreign media, however, acted no better than the oafs who needled her in the pub just so they could make her lose her composure.

Having worked for some time with children with disabilities, I know full well that Britain's Got Talent (BGT) was never going to work for Boyle. Considering that even Farrel Smith had her uneven teeth airbrushed for the cover of her new album, it was inevitable that the hair dye and tweezers would get to Boyle, sooner of later - and it was actually sooner.

What concerns me most is the build-up of pressure on this person who may not have been adequately equipped to take it - and we all know what fame does, sometimes, to so-called 'ordinary' people. Susan Boyle is extraordinary. Nowhere did I find that a part of her counselling was trying to make her understand that since she lost to Diversity, she is still, ipso facto, the best singer on the show. This would have made a lot of difference to her mental stability.

Could this be a lesson to us when it comes to pumping up our annual Eurovision contestant? Should we realise that just as Boyle ought never to have gone to BGT, Malta must henceforth never participate in the Eurovision again, since by this time next year we would have organised our own international music festival?

television@timesofmalta.com