EUROVISION 2009 - MOSCOW, RUSSIA

Please let's hope they keep Paddy O'Connell for the semi-finals - he's been doing them since they started.

His commentary has been brilliant. Witty, but with loads of actual Eurovision research and facts AND far more importantly, Paddy (unlike Sir Tel) almost never crashes the songs.

The last two years he's been saddled with a co-presenter. Sarah Cawood in 2007 (who was dreadful) and Caroline Flack this year (who was better) - but I quite like the in-vision stuff the Beeb does for BBC Three.

How depressingly predictable.

There's no way I'm suffering three hours of The Norton so it looks like I'll be getting my commentary from the radio next year assuming I can manage to get the audio from Radio 2 DAB and the vision from BBC1 DSat in sync - I think I have a way...



Here is the list of TV commentators I have (a little unsure of 1969):

1956 Wilfrid Thomas
1957 Berkeley Smith
1958 ?
1959 David Jacobs
1960 David Jacobs
1961 Tom Sloan
1962 David Jacobs
1963 David Jacobs
1964 David Jacobs
1965 David Jacobs
1966 David Jacobs
1967 Rolf Harris
1968 David Gell
1969 Michael Aspel or David Gell?
1970 David Gell
1971 Dave Lee Travis
1972 Tom Fleming
1973 Terry Wogan
1974 David Vine
1975 Pete Murray
1976 Michael Aspel
1977 Pete Murray
1978 Terry Wogan
1979 John Dunn
1980-2008 Terry Wogan

I believe Terry did the radio commentaries in 1971, 1972, and 1974 to 1977, which means he actually had the year off in 1979, if that week's Radio Times is to be believed!

It appears Pete Murray did the radio commentary in 1973, but I don't think he did 1974 as Terry Wogan has often spoken of interviewing Abba in Brighton following their win, when all the lights were switched off.

I do miss your fantastic website, especially this time of year.

It would be interesting to compare some of the other commentaries over the years apart from Wogan.

The commentaries pre-Wogan were pretty straight really, indeed even Terry's first TV commentary in 1973 was rather bland, plenty of missed opportunities for mockery.

Hardly: Sir Terry has the top-rated radio show in the UK, as far as I'm aware. If that makes him a has-been, there's no hope for any of us

Very well said - and Graham Norton has hosted some of the Beeb's most popular Saturday night shows of recent years (Maria, Joseph, Nancy etc.)... Hardly a has-been either...

We didn't take part in 1958 so it's possible there was no coverage from the BBC. I'm surprised that they took the first contest even though we weren't in it.

I'd love to hear Rolf Harris' commentary!

I think my main problem with this selection is Norton is a performer, he's not been tested in radio or on commentary for lesser Eurovision events.

The BBC had a perfect opportunity to stick him in the commentary box on the Eurovision Dance Contest, if only for a few links, why didn't they try it?

This is a massive risk, names such as Ken Bruce or Paddy O'Connell may have not pulled in the audiences that Norton may on his first contest, but I do believe over a longer period of time they could be as successful as Wogan.

Has Norton *ever* commentated on anything?

I think what I'll probably do is listen to Ken on Radio 2 with the TV on mute (having attempted to match up a BBC1 region with a similar digital delay). Either Ken or Paddy would have been a great choice, also I'd suggest that fans of Wogan will be more amenable to them than Graham Norton.

I still maintain that the retirement of Kevin Bishop was possibly the overriding factor in Wogan's decision - who knows what plans BBC management had/now have to change things next year - particularly with budget cuts.

STW was interviewed by Andrew Marr this morning....

http://premium1.uploadit.org/ChrisCornwall3/News/wogansam.jpg

The BBC had hoped to enter the first Eurovision Song Contest AIUI - but entered too late so weren't eligible. I guess as a major Eurovision event (when seeing any live pictures from outside the UK was still a major feat of TV engineering) the BBC felt it would be worth showing.

(Remember this was before any satellites, let alone TV satellites, had been launched! The first Eurovision Song Contest was held only 5 or 6 years after the first live pictures were sent across the English Channel from France to the UK (and vice versa?))

A major change to the voting procedure has been announced today

50:50 Televote/Jury split in the final, a hugel dramatic change from 2009

Televoting/jury mix in 2009 Final voting


Exclusive: Juries get 50% stake in Final result! (6)

Earlier this year, it was announced that a new voting model will be used in the Final of the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest. Today, we can exclusively announce that jury and televoters will each have a 50% stake in the outcome of the Final. The proposal, made by the Reference Group of the Eurovision Song Contest, has already been approved by the European Broadcasting Union's TV Committee.

This Wednesday and Thursday, the Reference Group of the Eurovision Song Contest will meet in Moscow to decide upon the exact way the national juries will be composed, and to discuss rules to assure a fair jury vote. It was already announced to EBU Member broadcasters that the jury members should all be music industry professionals. More details soon!

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