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Will not withdraw
Malta: Will participate in Eurovision 2009
There had been many calls for Malta to withdraw from the contest after its disappointing results in the last three years. Just over 57% of respondents to a timesofmalta.com poll also said they were against Malta's continued participation.
But Mrs Cristina told Parliament that it was the view of the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts that Malta should continue to participate.
She said the council spent €46,588 on this year's Eurovision contest, with other costs being met by sponsors.
Above: Morena representing Malta at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 last month.
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Do you know what I see as a winning song for Malta?...Chiara and Lawrence Gray, with their powerful, golden voices, singing a beautiful, strong ballad, and il-Puse' accompanying them on his violin...They would send shivers down everybody's spine!...Pure magic...and hopefully, a winner!
Malta should withdraw like Austria.
Btw, they have been givin' 12p always to a country NOONE would thought ! 2006: Switzerland, 2007: UK, 2008: Sweden
at least they give 12p to Western countries but they still support eastern ones so no need to complain!
Stockholm calling:
Oh yeah!!! Ofcourse 
I'm glad Malta will go on participating. I hope they will choose a very good song next year, they deserve to win. Malta is such a nice island, I've been there.
Jonny K:
And the UK 
I am glad that Malta stays alive in the ESC..and i really hope it will soon win this contest with a very good entry..i must confess though that after liking many of the Greek entries and giving its 6-12 points, Malta semms to have become very stingy with her points going to Greece, although the Greek entries have remaind in the similar good style...hmm..why?
I hope Malta never withdraws!!! Malta is one of those countries that eurovision wouldn't be the same without, like Sweden, Ireland, France, Spain, Germany etc.
Of course we'll participate... What's the Esc without Malta participating?? hehehe only joking... but really I think we're the most enthusiastic people about Eurovision in Europe 
.. anyway, I agree with you Deo Debono... I am really looking forward to a great MSFE next January/February I want Claudia or Chiara ... next year we'll rock Moscow
Government decides not to reconstitute MaltaSong board
The MaltaSong Board will not be reconstituted and its responsibilities have been transferred to PBS, the government said this afternoon.
MaltaSong was responsible for the organisation of the Song for Europe contest and Malta's participation in the Eurovision Song Contest. Its term is about to expire.
The announcement was made at the same time as the government announced that Clare Thake Vassallo had been appointed chairman of PBS after having served on the board for a number of years.
The other members of the PBS board are Joe G.P. Bonello, Lara Tonna, Josef N. Grech and Isabelle Gatt. Their appointment, for a year, was made by Education and Culture Minister Dolores Cristina.
Dr Thake Vassallo is senior lecturer at the University’s Faculty of Arts and has specialised in the theory of communication.
She was first appointed to the PBS board in 2000 and in 2005 was in charge of the restructuring of children’s programmes.
The PBS board at its first meeting will discuss the creation of a structure within PBS to assume the functions of the MaltaSong board.
It is common practice in many European countries for the selection of their representative to the Eurovision Song Contest to be made through a contest organised by the national broadcaster.
and that is it! robert abela and all the comitee are out! and the new comitee is....ther will be no new comitee!
what is goin on? the whole responsability of the board now passed to PBS, the national tv station ! we'll see. I think this is a blow that will never be forgiven! this might be the end of esc in the maltese island!
Phewwww.... thank heavens, there is a god in the eurovision skies.
malta stays in and we can all now rest comfortably in peace :-)
how easily Malta forgets 2nd in 2002 and 2nd in 2005. that ia a much better result than most!
I hope Malta wins it. Ira realy deseved a victory in 2002
Keep entering Malta. Your time will come. Another fantastic entry like Chiara's 2005 song and you'll win it. I'm with Sir Terry on this one. He'd love to see Malta win it too - and not just to go to a warm country for the ESC!
As long as it is not a Vella/Borg-Song that wins again next year I'm happy.
@ shinji
u prefered vodka to hero ?
im sorry , vodka was a total mess of a song . the performance was good but there was zero melody.
im amazed you can say sweden always sends rubbish songs. thats a crazy statement.
i do feel sorry for malta not qualifying last year though . i think vertigo was a very good song
if we have claudia with mihai, eleonor with a great ballad, pamela with a ballad similar to last years and chiara with kirkorov's song................it would be a great msfe! i don't think that malta should host the esc in the coming few years......better get our debts solved before doing sucha great show. knowing us maltese.......we would do anything to go into the book of records.....ghajnejna akbar minn ma nafx xiex! it would surely be the greatest eurovision ever. that is why many fans are waiting for our victory. let's start working hard!
why should we?
it took turkey finlnad and greece so many years to win it. our time will come.
Good for Malta!
Music trends come and go, and right now the music produced by the so-called "eastern" countries are "in": creative fusion. The Netherlands tried to cash in this year but maybe north African pop just was not in trend right now.
I love malta..It is actually my secon favorite onyl after Sweden. However, the Swedish choose rubbish every other year (even with great song at melodifestivalen) and I have LOVED every Maltese entry since 2003...Keep the spirits up...Finland got it after so long, So why wouldnt you!
@ euro dub
i only wish i was gay..in that case i would wake up with....never mind
"finland as you all know is and always will be a western country"
Politically yes, geographically no. And in Eurovision, Geography counts.
I would not put my money on anybody, least chiara, or Ira. After each year's eurovision outcome I never know what to expect anymore! Carola failed. Selma Failed. Charlotte Perrelli failed. You just never know! I would have bet Malta would make it to the finals this year. Best song in the last 3 years.
I've been rather negative during this eurovision season, but I have to say that i LIKED Malta's entry this year very much. GOOD SONG> GOOD SINGER> If Malta was bigger they might have made it to the top 10!
why would they withdraw anyway? they've sent 3 average songs in 2006,2007 and 2008 and they expected some good placing? please...
I want some good song from Malta for Moscow 2009..Something like Ciara from 2005.
And don't say that Malta has done bad only cause they don't have any neighourghs. The fact is that their songs weren't good enought. Vertigo was best of their last three songs, but a bit boring...So, that's the reason why didn't it qualify for the final.
MALTA DID BAD ONLY BECOUSE THEY'VE SENT BAD SONGS
our honeymoon was held in malta few yaers ago ..7th anniversary and again in malta in july..st julians calling
Great Malta. You are the country I vote for every year, you are like a 2nd contry to me.
Please send Ira Losco in 2009
Great decision Malta! =]
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