Fewer songs have been submitted than last year for the Malta Eurovision song contest, to be held in November instead of February.

Sources in the music industry said the cut-off date for submissions – the end of August – had caught recording studios, authors and composers on the wrong foot.

In previous years the deadline for submissions was the end of October.

A record-breaking 210 entries were submitted last year. A source in the industry said he believed the number of submissions may have been halved this year.

While not giving the number of entries, PBS chief executive Anton Attard said the main difference this year was that there were fewer repeat submissions – songs submitted year after year.

“What really matters is the quality of submissions rather than the number and this will be judged during the festival,” Mr Attard said, adding the number and first shortlist of songs would be announced by the end of this month.

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