Is there strict rules regarding the broadcasting of the final that it must be shown in it's entirety with only a commentator as an addition, is this format used in all countries?
It was strange to me, having never seen a semi-final before, that the broadcast was much more BBC specific with filmed inserts, a live presenter in the stadium etc, presumably the rules are more lenient for the semis?
Is there strict rules regarding the broadcasting of the final that it must be shown in it's entirety with only a commentator as an addition, is this format used in all countries?
It was strange to me, having never seen a semi-final before, that the broadcast was much more BBC specific with filmed inserts, a live presenter in the stadium etc, presumably the rules are more lenient for the semis?
From what I've read online Italy was showing only the performances and voting and had studio-based things in between with their spokeswoman. Presumably the EBU doesn't mind as long as all of the performances are shown in their entirety and the voting numbers are up for equal amount of times.
That said I remember reading that in 2009 France opted out of half of Moldova's performance for a brief interview with Patricia Kaas and nothing more was said about it from the EBU.
BBC3 has been opting out of the intervals since 2006 and some countries show an ad break instead.
Is there strict rules regarding the broadcasting of the final that it must be shown in it's entirety with only a commentator as an addition, is this format used in all countries?
AIUI all the performances should be shown - as otherwise the voting isn't really fair. I remember that Lebanon were due to take part a couple of years ago, and had selected a song. However when asked by the EBU they said they wouldn't have been able, under their broadcasting law, to show the Israeli entry. This was a deal breaker for the EBU, and they weren't able to take part.
I don't think there are any specific rules - though I may be wrong. After all the broadcasters pay to license the show, and are given a fair degree of latitude in what they show.
Historically the BBC have probably made more bespoke stuff for the semi-finals than other broadcasters.
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It was strange to me, having never seen a semi-final before, that the broadcast was much more BBC specific with filmed inserts, a live presenter in the stadium etc, presumably the rules are more lenient for the semis?
Yep - when the BBC reigned back on the BBC Three Eurovision programmes that they ran in the early 00s (Liquid Eurovision, Eurovision... A Little Bit More etc.) which were often daily Eurovision shows for a week, and/or a Eurovision aftershow programme, and with Paddy O'Connell a face of BBC Three and the Semi-Final commentator from 2004, it made sense to big-up the in-vision stuff from the semifinal to make it more "BBC Three"...
Think the problem they had this year was that Scott and Sarah patently had no real interest or knowledge of the contest. BBC Three now has close links to Radio 1 (overlap audiences etc.) - and on paper you can see the logic. However would Scott and Sarah really have watched the show if they weren't employed to? Didn't feel like it...
No they shouldn't advertise a particular company. They should say "message us at the BBC" or something. Email doesn't need to use one specific company, nor do the other options I mentioned.
They're not 'advertising' a particular company, they're mentioning 2 rival companies. They can't mention and have a presence on all the social networking sites but they can use the top 2.
If they only mentioned one then there would be a problem, but in my mind mentioning 'Facebook and Twitter' is the same as mentioning 'Windows and Mac' or 'Android and Iphone' or 'Sky and Virgin'
Think the problem they had this year was that Scott and Sarah patently had no real interest or knowledge of the contest. BBC Three now has close links to Radio 1 (overlap audiences etc.) - and on paper you can see the logic. However would Scott and Sarah really have watched the show if they weren't employed to? Didn't feel like it...
I totally agree, and I think it was stupidly obvious in the first semi-final. They improved by the second, but it clearly wasn't good enough. I think they missed the point entirely...those that watch the semi-finals are invariably the huge cult fans of the contest....if anything they need have more expert knowledge of the contest than Graham does (incidentally, I think Graham was a bit lacking in his research this year...shame he didn't go out to Dusseldorf a little earlier).
Where was Paddy O'Connell? He posted a video on eurovision.tv about commentators at Eurovision, and was supered as a commentator at the beginning of it, so he was clearly in Dusseldorf.
Think the problem they had this year was that Scott and Sarah patently had no real interest or knowledge of the contest. BBC Three now has close links to Radio 1 (overlap audiences etc.) - and on paper you can see the logic. However would Scott and Sarah really have watched the show if they weren't employed to? Didn't feel like it...
I totally agree, and I think it was stupidly obvious in the first semi-final. They improved by the second, but it clearly wasn't good enough. I think they missed the point entirely...those that watch the semi-finals are invariably the huge cult fans of the contest....if anything they need have more expert knowledge of the contest than Graham does (incidentally, I think Graham was a bit lacking in his research this year...shame he didn't go out to Dusseldorf a little earlier).
Quite liked Graham this year - though he wasn't as on the ball as previous years - particularly during the voting (not spotting countries that had already been awarded points when speculating about 8/10/12 votes) Still nowhere near as bad as Terry was in the final few years though - and his comments are usually witty, slightly cutting at times, but never nasty. You get the feeling he really enjoys the show for what it is.
I think the first semi-final was probably a baptism of fire for both Scott and Sarah - as they didn't have working commentary circuits from Düsseldorf (I think Sarah ended up having to repo to her live camera position to get her sound back to London - which will have had a delay - when there was a near total failure in the international commentary systems? Lucky - in this respect - Scott was in London - most other countries had no commentary or had to use phones)
However I just think they were the wrong people for the job.
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Where was Paddy O'Connell? He posted a video on eurovision.tv about commentators at Eurovision, and was supered as a commentator at the beginning of it, so he was clearly in Dusseldorf.
Not sure if Paddy was out for the semifinals, but he was out for the final, and tweeting from the arena during the voting. I think he was there for BBC World News (he presents their Weekend World strand)
I missed his commentary hugely this year. I suspect the problem is that the BBC Three controller and the commissioners have no real link to him any more - he's now very much a Radio Four/Radio Two (from Broadcasting House and Jeremy Vine duties) figure, with his main TV stuff for BBC World News.
Has the televote/jury breakdown been released yet? Usually the Televote shows the jury is absolutely pointless as the same winner comes from both, but with such close results this year I wouldn't be surprised if the Televote throws up a different winner.
Has the televote/jury breakdown been released yet? Usually the Televote shows the jury is absolutely pointless as the same winner comes from both, but with such close results this year I wouldn't be surprised if the Televote throws up a different winner.
I don't think they are usually released until about late June/July time?
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In respect to Paddy...I don't think Eurovision needs Radio 1 people on it. I understand the link between Radio 1 and BBC Three, but I think I'd rather have the semi's on the Red Button and have Paddy commentating than try and force presenters that aren't interested try and make it appealing!
In respect to Paddy...
I don't think Eurovision needs Radio 1 people on it. I understand the link between Radio 1 and BBC Three, but I think I'd rather have the semi's on the Red Button and have Paddy commentating than try and force presenters that aren't interested try and make it appealing!
Yep - Red Button and BBC HD though - watching the semi-finals in SD would be pants... I've watched live in SD since 2007 just for Paddy, but also had SVT HD off-air recordings to watch again for decent quality viewing! Didn't have to resort to that this year - though I'm sure the SVT commentary will have been better...