look into my eyes and see it's true
:: NEWS ON 2008 ::
Showing just how complex you can make picking semi-finalists at "random" - the EBU has announced it will select nations from pre-allocated pots. The pots are basically the blocs we all know and loathe - Tito is re-born in Pot 1, the Scandavians are mostly in Pot2, Greece and Cyprus share Pot 3 with Turkey, most of the former Soviet nations are in Pot 5.
- Step 1 - Because of the odd numbers, two envelopes one containing the words 'Semi-Final 1' and the other 'Semi-Final 2' will be drawn.
- Step 2 - The pots will be split in half 'randomly' with half of each pot going to the first semi-final and the other three in the second one.
- Step 3 - The left over nation in Pot 5 and Pot 6 will then select the envelopes from Step 1.
The Big Four and Serbia (the five nations in the Final) can broadcast both semi-finals or just one, but the viewers from their countries can only vote in one. The Big Four will be forced to vote in one of the semis - which will also be drawn. Whether the BBC will broadcast the other semi is not known - which means it is unclear if SBS will show both semi finals in Australia (or either!). NOTE: All semi-finals will be webcast live through Eurovision.tv.
Joining the five finalists will be the top nine finishers from both semi finals - PLUS - a tenth will be determined by the back-up juries! The EBU is gonna make sure the favourites get through! The draw for the semi-finals will take place at the Belgrade City Hall on Monday 28 January 2008.
| Pot 1 | Pot 2 | Pot 3 |
|---|
Albania
Bosnia&Herzegovina
Croatia
FYR Macedonia
Montenegro
Slovenia
|
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
Iceland
Norway
Sweden |
Belgium
Bulgaria
Cyprus
Greece
Netherlands
Turkey |
| Pot 4 | Pot 5 | Pot 6 |
|---|
Andorra
Ireland
Latvia
Lithuania
Portugal
Romania |
Armenia
Belarus
Georgia
Israel
Moldova
Russia
Ukraine |
Azerbaijan
Czech Republic
Hungary
Malta
Poland
San Marino
Switzerland |
I'm Not Afraid to Move On
EBU Executive Supervisor Svante Stockselius confirmed that ESC '08 will be held May 22nd (Semi-Final) and May 24th (Grand Final). 2008 will have the same format as 2006 and 2007, but 2009 may have two semi-finals: a true test of 'too much of a good thing.' If two semi finals occur, the participants will be drawn at random.
And that ole chestnut - the proposed World Song Contest - is still being discussed with broadcasters from other continents.
An Actor on an Empty Stage
The fallout from Helsinki's perceived Eastern European bias is getting serious. Concerns that not one Western European nation qualified from the Semis, were compounded by the 1-2-3 finish of Serbia, Ukraine and Russia - along with Bulgaria and Hungary finishing ahead of where many placed them.
Newspapers continue to circulate stories of nations withdrawing from 2008 in protest. While the Netherlands and Austria have denied rumours they'd withdraw, Andorra has nearly flat out said they use the contest to advertise their music and are staying for that reason alone - while Ireland and Malta are both reviewing their involvement.
By early June 2007, Israel's broadcaster (IBA) had decided to withdraw from all future Eurovision Song Contests, as from 2008. IBA will not broadcast the 2008 contest in Israel (a requirement to remain an active participant) and Israel would be ineligible to participate in 2009. Israel's other channels (2 and 10) could take over Israel's entry but since none of the two broadcasters are EBU members - that'll take a few years. Israel was the first non-European country to join the contest and won the thing thrice - in 1978, 1979 and 1998.
While Israel is not citing Eastern bloc voting as the cause for the departure (instead they quote a different vision for IBA) the fact remains that Israel has fared badly from the rise of the East - only Shiri got them anywhere near the top since Dana International, and ESC's TV ratings have been abysmal in Israel. For a three time winner to say they cant see any reason to be in a contest shows the rot cannot be ignored. (For more on the potential schism see our in-depth feature)
My dress, my flashy skin
Voting for The Barbara Dex Award given to the worst dressed at Eurovision closed May 20th.
EurovisionHouse.nl announced Verka Serduchka (the Ukrainian Dame Edna) narrowly defeated Marija Serifovic (Serbia) with Moldova a distant 3rd. Bosnia was 7th and the UK, 8th.
If you really wanna take this trip
Eurovision 2008 will be held May 22nd (Semi-Final) and May 24th (Grand Final) in Belgrade at the Beogradska Arena (Belgrade Arena).
I've got my bitches standing up next to me
The following nations automatically qualify for the 2008 Warsaw Pact Song Contest. Serbia, Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Belarus, Greece, Armenia, Hungary and Moldova. If they can still be bothered paying for a party they aren’t welcome at, then we will also see France, Spain, Germany and the United Kingdom.
Can You Feel the Love Power?
The queer contingent at EDU were cheering this on, and the rest of us certainly noted the stage act Serbia put on for Molitva – but it took the BBC to hit the nail on the head:
At times, their routine resembled liturgical dancing. At others, it seemed to be a slow-motion lesbian porn film.
Again with the Voting?!
EDU has suggested for two years that only the nations in the Grand Final should vote (or get to read their votes). If the 24 Nations in the Final were the only nations allowed to vote, the boredom would be greatly reduced and there would be enough time to read out all 10 points - not just the top 3 points (which is very hard to follow and makes for a repetitive vote count). What is more, the results would hardly change and the results would have been much closer:
|
Place with 24 Voters | Actual Place | Nation | Score (from 24 Grand Finalists) |
|---|
| 1 | (1st) | Serbia | 146 |
| 2 | (3) | Russia | 141 |
| 3 | (2) | Ukraine | 136 |
| 4 | (5) | Bulgaria | 105 |
| 5 | (7) | Greece | 93 |
| 6 | (6) | Belarus | 91 |
| 7 | (4) | Turkey | 88 |
| 8 | (10) | Moldova | 82 |
| 9 | (8) | Armenia | 80 |
| 10 | (9) | Hungary | 71 |
An Evanescent Unsubstantial Blues
Serbia’s Marija ŠERIFOVIC has won the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest. This is the first time since nations were allowed to use any language to sing in (and everyone promptly used English) that a song with no English in it has won. Yet again, none of the Big Four scored enough to qualify next year on their own merit (the third consecutive year that’s happened) and Macedonia qualified for the Grand Final but will be relegated to Semi Finals next year (the fourth consecutive year they’ve done that).
The Czech Republic got one solitary point (from Estonia) which is the worst result any nation has got in a Semi. Austria was not far behind receiving points from only Switzerland and Andorra (3 and 1 respectively). Georgia's 12 points in the Semi to Belgium brought the Belgian total score to 14!
I'm Not Afraid to Move On
EBU Executive Supervisor Svante Stockselius confirmed that ESC '08 will be held May 22nd (Semi-Final) and May 24th (Grand Final). 2008 will have the same format as 2006 and 2007, but 2009 may have two semi-finals: a true test of 'too much of a good thing.' If two semi finals occur, the participants will be drawn at random.
And that ole chestnut - the proposed World Song Contest - is still being discussed with broadcasters from other continents.
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