Eurovision Contest of the song

The Concours Eurovision of the song is an annual contest which took place for the first time the May 24th 1956 in Lugano in Switzerland. This contest is retransmis by the Télévision through the Europe. More recently, it was also retransmis elsewhere in the world (for example in Australia and with the the United States), but also on Internet. The name of this contest comes from the network televised Eurovision, led by the European Union of radio-television (UER) whose potential audience is of a billion televiewers. The contest is opened with any active Member State of the UER, which include countries like the Algérie, the Egypt, Israel, the Lebanon, the Libya, the Morocco, the Syria, or the Tunisia - which do not form part of Europe. Thus, Israel and the Turkey respectively send candidates since 1973 and 1975, while the Morocco took part in only one occasion, in 1980.

The first competition for A-grade officials place in 1956 and seven countries took part (three others were disqualified due to late inscription). The seven countries were the France, the West Germany, the Italy, the Netherlands, the Luxembourg, the Belgium and the Suisse. They were joined the following year by the the United Kingdom, the Denmark and the Austria, then in 1959 by Monaco. In 1980, it should be noted the only participation to date of the Morocco, which finishes penultimate. January 1st, 1993, the OIRT (International organization of Radio and Télévision), which sat at Prague and which managed the network Intervision , amalgamates with the UER. This statute makes it possible the broadcasters of the East to take share with the Eurovision Contest of the Song, with the broadcasters of the West.

The piece taken again for the code of connection in Eurovision, for the events gathering several broadcasters, in particular for the Eurovision Contest of the Song, is the orchestral opening of the Te Deum of Marc-Antoine Charpentier, redécouvert by Carl de Nys in 1953.

Payment

The Eurovision Contest of the Song, organized by the European Union of radio-television, was created in 1956 following the success of the Festival of Sanremo which had existed for a few years and proceeded with Sanremo. Currently it is more musical big competition in the world joining together each year more than one forty country (number in quasi constant increase).

Progressive abandonment of the national jurys and the orchestra

The rules exerted by different the jurys (which cannot vote for them-even) varied according to the times. formerly, the operations of examination were tiresome. But one also reproached the last jurys expressing their vote to modify them progressively advance of the scores. That was avoided partially by Eurovision which obliged the jurys to secretly communicate their votes under the control of ushers elected in each country, before those are announced publicly by each one of them during the retransmission.

But the televiewers thought a long time that the votes were faked at the end it examination to support regional solidarity. The conservation of the long procedure of advertisement to the antenna of the country results by country remains however required by the chains which want to maintain a “suspense” until the end on the final winner.

In 1997 one attended the introduction of the télévote which made it possible to the televiewers to vote themselves by telephone. The télévote is today the only reference for the vote and is coupled with the votes by SMS (which help also the chains to finance their participation and their diffusion of the contest).

Since 1956, the song was carried out on line and accompanied by an orchestra. In 1999, to reduce the expenses of organization, the orchestra disappears. The music must imperatively be on a tape its and the instruments during a service are used fictitiously. The voices recorded on soundtrack are on the other hand prohibited.

Restriction of the number of songs presented by each country

To guarantee an emission adequate in duration, at the time of the first edition in 1956, each country presented two songs. As of 1957, with the arrival of three new participants, one limited each country to a song.

By tradition (more than by obligation) this piece was to be sung in one of the national languages of the country, only because that supported the support of the televiewers for “their” representative, and the national sales of the titles presented (largely diffused on the national radios before the contest).

Restriction then reopening of the choice of the language

In 1966, the rule is introduced imposing the interpretation of the songs into one of the national languages. This rule was again abandoned of 1973 to 1976, and since 1999, when participating countries of which they are the only representatives are felt sorry for of the lack of comprehension of their language (and his specific sonority) by the other countries having to vote for them.

Thus, number of countries speaking a “minority” language in the contest now choose to contribute with a song in a majority language, often English, or integrate English refrains.

Increase in the number of participants and preselections

The participation continued to increase until the Années 1980. To the wire of time, the rules were adapted to limit the number of finalists (the vote finally becoming “  interminable  ” for the chains retransmettant the contest) and to make thus vis-a-vis adhesion in the Eurovision of the new countries independent of the Eastern bloc:
  • In 1993, a first preselection between the 7 new adherent countries in Eurovision took place: Estonia, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, Bosnia-Herzégovine, Slovenia, Croatia; the three qualified were the old republics of the Yugoslavia.
  • In 1994 and 1995, the countries the best classified previous year were automatically qualified; other countries being relegated during one year. What allowed the arrival of 7 new Eastern European countries in 1994: Estonia, Romania, Slovakia, Lithuania, Hungary, Russia and Poland (which finishes with one surprising second place as of its first participation).
  • In 1996, Eurovision tries to raise this inequality, and an audio selection between all the countries wishing to take part (29) took place, which eliminated Denmark (which will have an international success with the eliminated song), and especially Germany, large financial contribution of Eurovision. The others eliminated were Israel, Hungary, Romania, Russia and the Yugoslav ex-Republic of Macedonia from which it was the first attempt at participation. This exclusion because of financial serious difficultieies to the organizers of the finale of the edition 1996, because they were seen deprived of the rights of repeat broadcast based on the advertizing revenues which would have been generated on the German chains and radios.
  • In 1997, qualified was selected according to an established ranking on a five previous years average. To avoid any problem of financing, the “Big 4” was created: the Germany, the France, the Spain and the the United Kingdom will be described as office for the competition of the following year, whatever their results.

Introduction of the semi-finals

  • And since 2004, it is a semi-final which makes it possible all the countries to take part, being held two or three days before the final:
    • the participants of the finale are the “Big 4”,
    • the ten best countries classified finally the previous year, and
    • ten best of the semi-final opposing all the other applicant countries.
    • Big Furnace (France, the United Kingdom, Spain and Germany) and
    • gaining it of the preceding contest (which gains the right to organize the contest in there convergent, but can desist from the organization and the reception of the semi-finals and the finale).
    • All the other applicant countries will have to pass by one of the two semi-finals (from which the distribution will be drawn with the fate).
    • a new voting system could be set up (with the restriction of the voices of the countries not taking part in the test concerned with the votes)
(the not qualified semi-finalists would have a less strong impact on the final, but would preserve mythical the 12 points, counting would begin again at 6 points)

All these points are rumors, others are truly considered (both half finales is only probably applicable measurement into 2009 of source of the UFG)

It is noted nevertheless that the system of the “Big 4” has a serious defect: finally, the attribution of the points by a country is made very mainly by the televiewers using the télévote. However, Eurovision (and other countries press it) very badly explained to the televiewers the reasons of the granted privilege. Thus, since the system is in place, the notes granted by the other countries to the “Big 4” do not correspond any more to reality of the contest, and the 4 countries of Big 4 obtain only some points even more none on behalf of the other countries, whereas they obtain some between them: the public of the other countries “boycott” Big 4 which does not have to pass by the semi-finals. This tendency nothing but does be accentuated. For the moment, no possible solution was adopted by Eurovision making it possible to maintain at the same time the equity of the contest, and its financial balance.

Number and qualification of the interpreters

The current payment provides that each country cannot have more than 6 interpreters on scene and that those must be at least 16 years old at the date of the semi-final of the Contest (either on May 10th for 2007).

Today there are no more restrictions concerning the language of the song. The nationality of the interpreter (S) defined forever by the international payment. To quote only the most important cases, the Australia Olivia Newton-John represented the the United Kingdom and the Canadian Céline Dion represented the Suisse. In the same way, Johnny Logan, which represented the Ireland in 1980 and which gained the contest, was Australian.

List gaining since 1956

By year

Notes:
  • (A) In 1969, there were 4 winners ex æquo since there was no rule in the event of equality; a drawing lot indicated the Netherlands as organizer of the edition of 1970.
  • (B) The gaining song of 1975, Ding-Dinge-Dong , of the group Teach-In, carries several different titles according to the 45 turns: Dinge-Dong in France, Ding-a-Dong with the the United Kingdom.
  • (C) In 1991, at the end of the vote, the France and the Sweden were first with equality with 146 points; to decide between the ex æquo , one was to hope the number of notes at twelve points and the number of notes at ten points (two maximum notes) that the other countries had allotted to them; the France and the Sweden had received an equal number of notes of twelve points, on the other hand the Sweden had 5 times the note of ten points against 2 times for the France: the Sweden was thus proclaimed victorious.
Currently the rule to decide between possible a ex æquo in the first place is the number of notes received by the countries concerned (that it is one or twelve). So at the conclusion of this account there remain always two countries or more ex æquo one will seek the number of 12 points received by each one of them, then the number of ten items, eight, seven, and so on until one. So at the end of this procedure a ex æquo remains, then all the countries concerned will be declared victorious.

By many victories

Notable and incidental acts

Famous singers having taken part in the contest

Famous singers tested themselves there, and of it are drawn with rather good scores for the majority. Let us quote all the same:

Influence Israeli-Arab competition and conflicts on the diffusion

While taking part in the Eurovision Contest of the song, each television channel in competition engages with retransmettre the demonstration in its entirety (semi-final and finale). This is why Lebanon, in 2005, after having announced its first participation, withdrew itself from the competition. The Lebanese television channel which owed retransmettre the event, could not be subjected to the payment because the Lebanese law prohibited any reference to the Hebrew State, since Israel is not recognized by Lebanon. The song selected was When very flees, interpreted in French by Aline Lahoud.

It is not the first time that this style of incident arrives. In 1978, the Television of Jordan (JRTV) retransmet the emission on line, but with the passage of the Israeli song, the chain decides to diffuse an image of flowers. When there was the certainty of the Israeli victory, the diffusion of the votes was stopped to diffuse an American film. The following day, the Belgium, represented by Jean Valley which had finished second, was announced like gaining by the services of information of Jordan.

Criticisms

Musical style too formatted for Eurovision

Certain televiewers criticize the fact that the majority of the songs of Eurovision are formatted and do not correspond to the reality of the music scene. It is noted however that this formatting is in notable process of regression, and that in fact mainly the new participating countries brought freshness and the originality in the contest.

Criticisms could be addressed in the fact of making contribute candidates proposing a pop ' rather consensual, this in order to like the greatest number of televiewers resulting from cultures and different countries. This criticism is however to moderate in comparison with gaining last years of which Dana International for Israel in 1998, and Lordi for Finland in 2006.

The problem of the language

Many televiewers also criticize that the majority of the participants do not sing in their native tongue (see the column " langues" in the table of the participants). However if this restriction were raised, it were with the majority request of the new countries often speaking about the minority national languages, not represented among the other countries having to vote for them.

Votes of vicinities and inter-cultural influence

The statistics of the votes show a strong tendency of voting to privilege close countries before intrinsic quality musical, which created a skew in the results. The organizers moderate this objection by the fact that if there exist votes of vicinity, it is that these countries are culturally close and thus capable to vote for countries sharing the same tastes.

One notes the rather unquestionable influence of regional solidarity, especially among the old countries of the “Eastern bloc. ” However this solidarity could be accentuated by the system of selection for the final which privileges the 4 large countries (which in addition belong to cultures in strong competition).

Persistent geographical alliances

Like known as previously for the votes of vicinities, one sees a true alliance for the Eastern European countries but there exist also alliances of the west (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Monaco, Germany, Austria, Switzerland), by adding Greece and Turkey, an alliance of the south (Spain, Portugal, Italy) and an alliance of the North-West (the United Kingdom and Ireland, which in addition enabled them to take some points but to always keep the 2 last places of the finale).

Number of these zones of alliance influencing the contest correspond to the surfaces of linguistic or historical proximity.

There exists also a considerable contribution of points of Germany in Turkey, due to the important Turkish community in this country.

Neutrality of the televised retransmissions

The interregional solidarity expressed in the votes is not exerted much any more between the large countries and historical participants, in spite of the insistence often expressed by the journalists commenting on the event in each country. The neutrality of the comments during the transmission of the finale is all the more difficult to hold that the retransmission shows the expressions of nationalism of the competitors and their partisans in the room (even if then voting operations are normally closed when the long phase comes from examination) that the televiewers strongly appoint year by year.

The Eurovision Contest of the song junior

In 2003, the European Union of radio-television created the “Eurovision Contest of the song junior”. This contest makes it possible children from 10 to 15 years to take part in Eurovision. With the difference in “historical” Eurovision Contest, the children must have written themselves the song (words and music), not to have been in collaboration on a professional artistic project (CD, DVD, concert…), being of the nationality of the country which they represent and the song must be in the language of the country which presents it.

History of Eurovision junior and the MGP Nordic

The ancestor of this Contest Eurovision junior is the MGP Nordic, the Scandinavian Contest of the song junior. The Danes, having found the idea interesting, thus decided to create in 2002 a contest test, MGP Nordic . The goal was the same one as in the national finals, the competitors representing one of the three Scandinavian countries (Sweden, Norway and Denmark). Razz , one of the Danish participants, gained this edition.

Thereafter these Scandinavian countries left side this first edition of the MGP to run within the framework of Eurovision the following year. But in 2006, they were withdrawn from Eurovision junior to again organize between them a new edition of MGP Nordic in November with Stockholm. The Swedish chain, TV4 took again the torch of Eurovision junior and in 2006 allotted the best classification to the Sweden.

Winners of the Contest Eurovision junior

It should be noted good performances of Spain which was classified second in 2003 and 2005, and first in 2004.

  • In 2003,16 countries took part in the first organized edition with Copenhagen with the Denmark. The gaining song was the song presented by the

    • Croatia interpreted by Dino: Ti if moja prva ljubav (“You are my first love”).
  • In 2004,18 countries participating in Lillehammer in Norway and it is the
    • Spain which gains the palm with the artist María Isabel and Antes muerta that sencilla (“Rather dead that normal”).
  • In 2005,17 participants in Hasselt in Belgium. The
    • carries it with Мывместе (“One is together”) by Ksenia Sitnik. The singer Lindsay was the only one to sing in French among the candidates.
  • In 2006,15 countries participaients with Bucharest
    • Russia Nastya and Masha Tolmacheva with the title echa ( Spring ).
  • In 2007, the competition for A-grade officials place on December 8th, 2007 with Rotterdam with the Netherlands.

It should be noted that France took part in this contest only in 2004 (6th out of 18)

See too

External bonds

  • Official site of the Contest
  • French Eurovision - general Database on the Contest
  • general Site devoted to the Eurovision Contest of the Song and Eurovision Junior
  • Site general practitioner on the Eurovision Contest of the Song
  • Eurovision 2007 on France Televisions ( Official )
  • the Prizes winner
  • History Of the Eurovision Contest of the Song

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