Breaking News: ERT announces an open national final after 22 years

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ERT CEO Aikaterini Kaskanioti announced some minutes ago, during the presentation of ERT’s program at the Athens Conservatory, that the artist and song representing Greece at Eurovision 2025 will be selected through a national final, with an open invitation to all. As noted, this will happen for the first time in 22 years.

The announcements fully confirm what we previously revealed in our earlier article. Ms. Kaskanioti informed the journalists attending the event at the Athens Conservatory about the method through which Greece’s entry for the 69th Eurovision Song Contest will be selected.

This year, therefore, the choice of the Greek representative for Eurovision will be made through a process “open” to the public. In this way we will address the growing demand and the interest shown by many artists who wish to participate.

After 22 years, the national final returns, with an open invitation to all interested parties.

We will have the opportunity to share many more details about Eurovision in a little while. We have all the time ahead of us.

The key points are as follows:

  • ERT will issue an open call to anyone interested in submitting a song for Eurovision 2025.
  • A national final will be held, a televised program with a competitive format, in which various artists will compete to represent Greece.
  • The television audience will have a say in the final result, likely in combination with a jury that will be formed specifically for this purpose.

Under the leadership of Aikaterini Kaskanioti, ERT is taking bold and innovative steps in selecting Greece’s entry for the next Eurovision, introducing an open process with an invitation to all, which will take place for the first time in 22 years.

We eagerly await the details and regulations of the national final, which we will update you on as soon as they are available. Eurovisionfun will closely follow ERT’s effort, which has been a long-standing wish of the contest’s fans for many years.

Stay tuned for all updates!

Exclusive: Eurovision 2024 Winner Nemo to Perform in Athens for a One-Time Special Event

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The winner of Eurovision 2024 is coming to Greece in the next few months, specifically to Athens. According to our exclusive information, Nemo will perform in a one-time-only appearance as part of a major annual music event that takes place in the Greek capital.

Nemo has wanted to perform in Greece from the start, not only because of the friendship developed with Marina Satti but also due to gaining a large number of fans there.

Thus, it didn’t take much convincing for him to say yes, and soon we will see them live in Athens, performing “The Code” at this unique event. More information is expected to be announced soon.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the updates!

ERT Gears Up for Eurovision 2025: A Historic National Final on the Horizon After 22 Years!

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After a summer full of sports broadcasts and the recent administrative restructuring with the appointment of Giannis Papadopoulos as interim president of the company’s Board of Directors, alongside CEO Katerina Kaskanioti, ERT is now moving forward into the new television season. One of the key issues to address is the selection of Greece’s entry for Eurovision, with the method of selection being the main question.

The national final is closer than ever

According to information from various sources, ERT is seriously considering the possibility of holding an open national final to choose Greece’s Eurovision entry. Although the final decision has not yet been made, it is expected within the next two weeks.

ERT’s management, aiming to make the most of the Eurovision project both in terms of television and commercial success — a project that traditionally garners high viewership rates in Greece — is leaning towards holding a televised national final. The huge commercial success of Marina Satti, with the record-breaking viewership during the final of the contest, has bolstered this idea.

The fact that many artists want to represent Greece, combined with the fact that the last open national final was held in 2003, makes ERT’s management favor the idea of such a contest. Through this process, both the artist and the song representing Greece in Basel next May will be selected.

As we’ve mentioned in previous articles, ERT’s management aims to ensure a transparent and objective selection process. Public participation in this process is almost certain, as there has long been a demand for the public to have a say in choosing Greece’s entry, just as is the case in most European countries.

Record labels are already preparing

Naturally, this news has reached the record labels, which are already preparing for the now-likely national final. In fact, all record labels, without exception, will submit several candidates, as many artists on their rosters are eager to enter and compete for the chance to represent Greece in the contest.

The fact that the Eurovision contest attracts more and more interest from record companies each year — being perhaps the largest music platform worldwide — has whetted the appetite of Greek labels, who obviously want one of their own artists to represent Greece.

The conversation about potential names has already begun, with many well-known and talented artists expressing interest in participating in ERT’s national final. Some have already publicly declared their desire to compete, while others have yet to reveal their intentions. Of course, we will keep you updated in future articles, as the list of candidates continues to grow, including both artists from record labels and independent musicians.

Presentation of the new program and onwards to Eurovision…

On Wednesday, September 18th, at the Athens Conservatory, ERT will present its new programming. This is essentially the last pending issue before officially starting its preparations for Eurovision.

By the end of the month, we expect official announcements, and as long as no financial, technical, or procedural hurdles cause any setbacks, we will have the first open national final by ERT in 22 years.

ERT’s goal, once again, is not only to secure a place in the top ten but also to represent Greece in a way that will make Greeks proud, while keeping the audience’s interest at high levels.

Eurovisionfun will, of course, keep you updated on every development, providing you with timely and accurate information regarding Greece’s participation in Eurovision 2025.

Stay tuned here!

Greece Officially Confirms Participation in Eurovision 2025: ERT Prepares for Basel

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Greece’s participation in the 69th Eurovision Song Contest is now official, as ERT has confirmed its presence by submitting the required participation form to the EBU.

Despite minor doubts, Greece is now officially among the countries that will take part in Eurovision 2025. According to reliable information, the Greek public broadcaster has completed the process of submitting the participation form, thus reaffirming its commitment to the upcoming contest.

Greece is the 29th country to confirm its participation in the competition, which will be held in Basel, Switzerland, on May 13, 15, and 17, 2025.

At this time, the selection process for the artist and song that will represent Greece remains unclear. The administrative changes at ERT are expected to be completed within the week, and immediately after the presentation of the new program on September 18, the selection method for the Greek entry in Eurovision 2025 will be announced.

ERT emphasizes that the selection process will aim to maintain high viewer interest while ensuring a transparent and objective procedure to avoid any shadows that have appeared in the recent past.

This will be Greece’s 45th participation in the 69-year history of the contest. ERT’s new management aspires to start strong in Eurovision, aiming not only for a smooth year but also for a top-10 placement, three years after Amanda’s 8th place finish, which is Greece’s best result in the past decade.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the latest updates on Greece’s participation in Eurovision 2025.

ERT’s decisions for Eurovision 2025: What to expect after September 15

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After September 15, ERT will announce the details of how to select Greece’s entry in Eurovision 2025. This decision follows the appointment of Yiannis Papadopoulos as temporary President of ERT, which is expected to be formalized on September 12. The administration will then proceed to make decisions and make official announcements about the contest, which will be held in Basel, Switzerland in May 2025.

The ceo of ERT, Katerina Kaskanioti, aims for a transparent and unbiased selection process, which will determine the artist and the song that will represent Greece on the Eurovision stage. ERT is looking for alternative methods of selection, which will ensure maximum transparency and reliability, with the scenario of direct assignment moving away, which you also read in our previous articles.

The team dealing with the project has already started the preparations, although the final decisions will be taken after the new administration takes office. Rumors and scenarios give and take, but ERT’s pursuit is to find the best possible solution for Greek participation, avoiding the mistakes of the past and keeping the interest of the television audience high, always aiming for a position in the top ten of the Eurovision final.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the updates and official announcements that will determine Greece’s path to Eurovision 2025!

Greece: Is Marina Satti the reason for the change of the president of ERT?

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The electronic edition of Avgi , mentions in an article the reasons for the non-remaining of Kon/nos Zoulas in the position of President of ERT. In fact, the columnist claims that, among others, Marina Satti’s appearance at Eurovision 2024 was one of the reasons why Kon/nos Zoulas is saying goodbye to the radio station of Agia Paraskevi.

Marina Satti “fires” Kon/nos Zoulas from ERT

From the first moment, both Marina Satti herself and other contributors to the Greek participation mentioned in their statements that the President of ERT himself, Kon/nos Zoulas, was the one who convinced the popular artist to say yes to Eurovision .

It is no secret that Kon/nos Zoulas, since 2019 when he had assumed the duties of the President of ERT, had several times proposed to Marina Satti and her record label, to represent Greece in the Eurovision contest. Finally, Marina Satti represented Greece in Malmö last May, taking 11th place with ZARI.

Marina Satti’s infamous yawn at the press conference, immediately after the end of the second semi-final and when the representative of Israel Eden Golan was speaking, had provoked strong reactions, forcing even the government representative to take a stand, effectively emptying the behavior of the Greek representative.

Much has been written since then, but the displeasure of the goverment is a given. At the time, many considered Mr. Zoulas to be responsible, as he was the one who chose Marina Satti as Greece’s representative in the competition. Newspaper Vima wrote at the time that the government would like the country’s representative at Eurovision to be chosen in 2025 with the participation of the audience, wanting in this way to abdicate any responsibility that would exist in the selection of the artist.

For what other reasons is Kon/nos Zoulas leaving?

Of course, as you understand, this is not the only reason why Kon/nos Zoulas is leaving ERT. According to the article, the goverment had been deeply dissatisfied with the works of Mr. Zoula in the last period. From the operation of ERTNews which was never in the right place at the right time, to the difficulties to collect the remunerative fee and from the publications about the expensive mixed productions, to the refusal to proceed with the Collective Labor Agreements with the Unions of ERT workers.

And a small editorial

Regardless of one’s view of Marina Satti’s behavior in the competition, it is paradoxical if expected that what upset the government was a rude act by an artist and not the dramas and complaints that accompanied the selection of last year’s Greek entry . Perhaps even this simple incident shows the pathogenicity of the Greek state and the way it solves problems and situations.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the updates!

Source: AVGI

Greece: ERT is not returning to Junior Eurovision!

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Greece is not set to return to Junior Eurovision 2024 either, continuing its long absence from the children’s song contest.

ERT’s last participation in the Junior Eurovision was in the distant 2008. Since then, for various reasons, the main one being the lack of interest, the Greek public television has not returned to the competition.

Junior Eurovision 2024 is set to take place on November 16 in Madrid. 14 countries have already confirmed their participation with more expected to be announced in the near future.

As we have already informed you with our previous exclusive article, at least one more country comeback is going to happen at Junior Eurovision 2024.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the updates!

EXCLUSIVE: The composers of Nemo’s “The Code” in Crete for the Eurovision Song Writing Camp!

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In our exclusive article you read a few days ago that this week the first Eurovision Song Writing Camp will take place in Greece, with the participation of composers who very recently won the contest. We can now reveal to you that the composers of this year’s Eurovision winning song, Nemo’s The Code, have arrived in Crete, specifically in Elounda, to participate in the song writing camp whose sole purpose is to create songs for the next Eurovision Song Contest.

Lasse Midtsian Nymann and Linda Dale, who were the creators of The Code, are from Monday July 1 in Elounda, at the First Eurovision Song Writing Camp held in Greece. The song writing camp takes place at the Elounda Peninsula Hotel, one of the most luxurious 5stars hotel in Crete.

With them is of course Dimitris Kontopoulos, but also Elsie Bay, known to all eurofans for her participations in the national final of Norway, MGP.

As we informed you in our previous article, this particular song writing camp does not concern a specific country only, nor of course an artist.

The composers of The Code, along with Dimitris Kontopoulos and Elsie Bay join forces and hope to create one or more songs that will impress the audience and the juries at the next Eurovision Song Contest.

The Song Writing Camp will last until Friday, July 5th. Already in her post, Linda Dale reveals to us that they have gotten to work!

 

Δείτε αυτή τη δημοσίευση στο Instagram.

 

Η δημοσίευση κοινοποιήθηκε από το χρήστη Linda Dale (@lindaodale)

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the updates!

EXCLUSIVE: Song writing camp in Greece for Eurovision!

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An exclusive news to be discussed. According to the information that we can reveal at this stage at least, a song writing camp will take place in the next few days in Greece, with the sole purpose of producing songs for Eurovision 2025.

For the first time in Greece, a song writing camp will be held for the creation of songs, with the aim of participating in the Eurovision contest. Next week, renowned composers from abroad as well as from Greece, will find themselves in an idyllic place. Their goal is of course the production of songs that could next year participate in the Eurovision contest that will take place in Switzerland.

This particular song writing camp is not about a specific country only, nor of course about an artist. The participation of the creators is a surprise and will cause many discussions.

What we can reveal to you is that among the creators who have been invited from abroad are also songwriters who have won the competition, and quite recently.

Eurovisionfun will be following everything that happens there and will bring you all the details exclusively, so stay tuned here and follow us on all social media!

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Marina Satti waved the symbol of Palestine at her concert in Thessaloniki

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Marina Satti’s concert in Thessaloniki on Monday June 17, at the Lazarist Monastery, was full. Marina Satti, together with the group that accompanied her on stage in Malmö, excited the audience of the Greek co-capital. Wanting to send her own message, our representative at this year’s contest brought with her on stage a huge fan-watermelon, which is used as a symbol of Palestine on social media and beyond.

Marina Satti’s attitude towards the armed conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, provoked many reactions during this year’s competition. Marina Satti’s yawning at the moment when the representative of Israel, Eden Golan, was speaking, became a topic of discussion in Greece and beyond, while the government representative was also asked about the issue, taking a clear distance, at the same time condemning the behavior of the Greek representative in the music contest.

Now freed from the Greek representation, Marina Satti, even though she had initially claimed that her behavior had nothing to do with the representative of Israel, it seems that she is now willing to show her real thoughts regarding the issue in question.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the updates!