Portugal's disappearance may be for good. The Country could become PSB less next year. One of the debt reduction measures being considered by the Portuguese Government is the wholesale disposal of RTP to the private sector. Their future as members of the EBU, and ESC participation in consequence, will therefore be in question.
Portugal's disappearance may be for good. The Country could become PSB less next year. One of the debt reduction measures being considered by the Portuguese Government is the wholesale disposal of RTP to the private sector. Their future as members of the EBU, and ESC participation in consequence, will therefore be in question.
Plenty of private broadcasters in the EBU so it shouldn't be an issue.
Bits of news for those who don't keep their finger on the pulse:
Portugal have made a surprise withdrawal from 2013's contest. They have been warning of a possible withdrawal since the recession began but clearly the privatisation of RTP has had an effect this year. Strange actually as Eurovision rates very well in Portugal, even when they don't qualify.
Have they said they aren't showing it? Or is it just that they aren't entering? If the latter then they'll presumably still get good ratings by showing it, they just won't have to pay to send a delegation... AIUI the licensing costs to show it aren't that high...
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Somehow Greece is still able to afford to enter.
It would be a national emergency if they didn't...
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Poland won't be returning next year. Slovenia, Slovakia and Romania look like possible withdrawals.
Poland and Slovakia have come and gone in the past. Slovenia and Romania would be missed - in past years they've entered some pretty good stuff (and Romania has often done well)
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Germany will have an arena-based NF, they've moved away from the Pop Idol type format and it seems that it will be more like a traditional selection of songs. They're planning a Melodifestivalen type NF for 2014.
Think the Idol formats are slowly having their days across Europe...
ive always thought the winner of the voice should represent the uk gives the contest a point really doesn't it and gets us an entrant cheaply as well
Always? The Voice has only been on-air in the UK for a year hasn't it?
Not sure why winning a UK-based reality TV show qualifies an artist to appeal to a Europe-wide audience. All it demonstrates is that you can appeal to a UK audience.
The key to winning Eurovision is a decent song and a decent singer. The Voice won't deliver the song...
Good to see they're continuing with the Eurovision tradition of having an almost-but-not-quite-off-stage-and-wearing-black-and-not-lit-so-you-don't-see-them backing singer... (Or maybe more than backing...)
I wonder if the EBU will ever do something about that 'men/women in black' thing? It really grates with me. There's something fundamentally wrong IMO with a song competition where the person 'singing' isn't actually singing.
A host of withdrawals or possible withdrawals today ahead of what I believe is the participation deadline tomorrow. Turkey have quit citing that they suddenly find the 50/50 and the Big 5 rules unfair (aka they can't afford it), Bosnia have gone for financial reasons and have been close to withdrawing for this reason in the past, there are rumblings that Bulgaria, Slovenia and (once again) Greece will quit very soon.
Since the last update Slovakia have gone but Cyprus are staying.
I wonder if the EBU will ever do something about that 'men/women in black' thing? It really grates with me. There's something fundamentally wrong IMO with a song competition where the person 'singing' isn't actually singing.
Don't really think you can do much about it... Enforcing wardrobe and lighting rules would be pretty restrictive creatively - and you'd end up with 70s/80s type staging and lighting...