If the Malta Eurovision Festival degenerates into a circus this year PBS has no qualms about pulling out, the state broadcaster’s CEO Anton Attard told The Sunday Times.

“Our only obligation as organisers is to choose a song as best as we deem fit. If someone does not like our regulations, we are not obliging anybody to take part,” he said when contacted.

Mr Attard recently faced resistance over the festival’s new regulations from singers on the participation fee and from the Union of Maltese Composers and Authors (UKAM) over the clause allowing foreigners to compete.

UKAM had not ruled out boycotting the contest last month, but felt this should be a last resort.

The festival’s organisation has always been hounded by debates and conspiracy theories as colourful as the feather boas and glitter that brighten the Eurovision stage, but Mr Attard is not willing to entertain shenanigans.

“These matters will damage Malta’s participation from the outset and we don’t want this to be a farce – this is not about unions, legal matters or boycotts. This is about PBS selecting one song,” he said.

From the start, PBS had said its regulations were not foolproof and it was willing to change. Mr Attard yesterday said after listening to numerous interested parties that certain points would be amended and released next weekend.

One of the things being changed is the participation fee, which had been put up to €250 from €100 to raise the prize money. It is now being cut to €150 and the prize money will remain unchanged.

Asked if PBS was reconsidering its position on the participation of foreign composers and authors, Mr Attard said the feedback he had received from numerous contestants of previous festivals was that this was not an issue.

“I too feel it’s not an issue. PBS feels the contest should be opened as wide as it deems is fair,” Mr Attard said.

The recent consultation process had also led him to understand the prevailing sentiment that the Malta Eurovision Festival was the only remaining showcase of national talent after the Festival Tal-Kanzunetta Maltija was dismantled. While Mr Attard made it clear PBS had absolutely nothing to do with Festival Tal-Kanzunetta Maltija, it was still willing to ­consider re-organising this ­festival, but stressed “Eurovision is a different ball game altogether”.