The UK needs to lose the “the rest of Europe hates us” and “it’s all political these days” attitude. There’s no desire to win, just continuous entry of sub-standard songs followed by bafflement that Europe hasn’t fallen at our feet and thrown their votes at us. As with many things, the UK just doesn’t get into the spirit of things.
The UK needs to lose the “the rest of Europe hates us” and “it’s all political these days” attitude. There’s no desire to win, just continuous entry of sub-standard songs followed by bafflement that Europe hasn’t fallen at our feet and thrown their votes at us. As with many things, the UK just doesn’t get into the spirit of things.
I do think a promotion of the semi-finals to at least BBC2 is long overdue (though it isn't like BBC1 couldn't spare 4 hours of weekday primetime in May), but I do wonder whether giving the semi-finals more promience might help change wider perceptions about the show and make it more about the "journey" rather than just the final.
JM
JamesM0984
At a time BBC Two are struggling to fill their schedules, I agree.
Also, money is spent on the opt outs during the semis. Filming Scott Mills attempting an acting career comes with a cost. Now, if it was on a a mainstream channel I could agree with this policy. But you can't argue that the semis are for hard-core fans only hence on a minority channel, and then p**s off those fans by dropping huge swathes of the non-competitive content. Opt outs should be restricted to the otherwise dull green room "banter" and the second recap in the non-voting show.
I do think for the semis they could air it straight and then air some kind of "Eurovision Extra" for half an hour at 10pm with the additional feature in. That could also air as a countdown to the main show at 7pm on the Saturday (probably on BBC4 I guess).
The new Israeli public service broadcaster @kann have had their application for full Membership of the EBU approved by our General Assembly in Geneva today. Welcome to the family! #EBUGApic.twitter.com/o3TiGr6GqY
Interesting that they're a publisher-broadcaster in effect. So presumably they'll be outsourcing a lot of 2019's production - certainly we know that M&M Productions are back for a fourth year (if not Ola Melzig is spending a LOT of time in Tel Aviv!) but I'm guessing much of the tech side will be bought in. Didn't SVT spin-off their OB business some time ago (I see from old threads they effectively host broadcasted many of the 2000s shows) to be later acquired by NEP?
Didn't SVT spin-off their OB business some time ago (I see from old threads they effectively host broadcasted many of the 2000s shows) to be later acquired by NEP?
Yes - SVT sold off their OB business, like the BBC did, many years ago. They still have in-house entertainment production staff, and some staff studio and OB technical crew, though. Though a large chunk of the production and technical staff on a large show like Eurovision will be freelance anyway. (Crane operators, Steadicam operators are obvious examples, but writers and producers may well be freelance too etc.)
Incidentally - NRK still have in-house facilities. They got two nice new HD OB trucks around the time of the 2010 Oslo contest
Didn't SVT spin-off their OB business some time ago (I see from old threads they effectively host broadcasted many of the 2000s shows) to be later acquired by NEP?
Yes - SVT sold off their OB business, like the BBC did, many years ago. They still have in-house entertainment production staff, and some staff studio and OB technical crew, though. Though a large chunk of the production and technical staff on a large show like Eurovision will be freelance anyway. (Crane operators, Steadicam operators are obvious examples, but writers and producers may well be freelance too etc.)
Incidentally - NRK still have in-house facilities. They got two nice new HD OB trucks around the time of the 2010 Oslo contest
NRK HD1 was delivered in 2007, HD2 in 2010. A replacement for HD1 went out for tender this summer
JM
JamesM0984
I know NEP provided trucks at least in 2016 and 2017. Not sure about 2018. The director was definitely from RTP. I know in the 00s SVT's Sven Stojanović directed quite a few of the shows - 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2008 I think. But since the Stockholm show it's interesting that a a lot of the Swedish team get hired independently - rather than SVT effectively being paid to help out as happened in the 00s. People like Christer Bjorkman for example are hired on their own, and with M&M managing again I wouldn't be surprised to see him back in 2019 along with Jerry Appelt returning as LD. Having spoken to some crew in Lisbon who were staying in my hotel, they got a LOT of kudos from the EBU for getting the 2017 show up and running against the clock. I still say that the fact the production was as slick as it was, given everything, is testament to that team's professionalism.
Euromedia, whilst not as international as NEP, are a large company with operations in multiple European countries (France, Belgium, Netherlands, Italy, Germany, UK etc.)
