123 entries for Eurosong festival

A total of 123 songs were submitted for the 2010 Malta Eurosong festival, which will take place on February 20.

Public Broadcasting Services Ltd, organisers of the festival, has issued a call for tenders for the provision of a venue, stage and production facilities for the festival. The closing date is December 9.

The winning song will represent Malta in the Eurovision Song Contest to be held in Norway in May.

The 123 entries will be sung live in front of a jury on December 2, 3 and 4 and the best 36 entries will make it to the second phase of the selection process. The chosen ones will then be performed live again before another jury on December 7.

PBS has teamed up with the TV programme Sfida to showcase the entries. Every week, between December 9 and January 13, six songs will be performed on the programme.

Besides the jury, people can vote for their preferred songs and the 20 finalists will be chosen. The winner will be chosen by a jury and televoting, which will each have a weight of 50 per cent.

The selection process started later than usual after former Maltasong chairman and record label owner Grace Borg applied for an injunction against the organisers. The issue was over a condition precluding foreign artistes, songwriters and composers from taking part in the local contest unless they have dual citizenship, one of which being Maltese.

Ms Borg, in representation of Maltese singers, songwriters and composers, claimed the move was discriminatory.

Her application was rejected.