Israel: KAN’s independence in danger according to the EBU!

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In an unusual move, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) is responding to the Public Broadcasting Bill, which threatens KAN’s independence, potentially leading to Israel’s exclusion from the Eurovision Song Contest.

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), responsible for the Eurovision Song Contest, has come out against a proposed bill that threatens to put Israel Public Broadcasting’s budget under state control. This move would effectively give the government the ability to step in and cut the company’s budget when it is not satisfied, which is currently impossible due to the company’s independence from government influence.

In a statement, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) commented:

“We are deeply concerned about the proposed legislation from the Israeli government that would allow them to change or cancel items in the public broadcaster’s budget, putting at risk the editorial and financial independence of public media. This development could be interpreted as an attempt by the Israeli government to exert greater direct control over KAN.”

The EBU calls for an immediate end to attempts by politicians to interfere with the company’s budget. Israel Public Radio commented in turn:

“The proposed bill is another attempt to harm the independence and existence of the public broadcasting corporation.”

Political Incentives and Economic Justifications

The bill was introduced by Avihai Boaron of the Likud party. The explanatory notes to the proposal state:

“The State of Israel is in the midst of the Swords of Iron war. In January 2024, the Governor of the Bank of Israel issued a press release stating that the total war expenses for 2023 to 2025 are expected to amount to about 220 billion new shekels. The government approved across-the-board cuts in all government ministry budgets to meet the commitments required due to the war.”

Despite this explanation, it’s hard not to take the company’s and the EBU’s statements into account. Communications Minister Shlomo Kar’i also opposes the company’s existence, at least in its current structure. He had previously stated:

“There is no place for public broadcasting that enjoys a public budget and harms competition.”

Consequences for Israel’s participation in Eurovision

If the independence of the public broadcaster is at stake, this situation could also jeopardize Israel’s ability to send an entry to Eurovision. If the government’s planned reform passes, Israel will stop sending an entry to the Eurovision contest like Russia, whose TV network independence was compromised, leading to its expulsion from the European Broadcasting Union.

Source: Euromix

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Poland: Participation confirmed for Eurovision 2025!

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Poland is officially the 36th state that confirms its participation in the 69th Eurovision Song Contest the upcoming May 2025 in Basel, Switzerland!

According to the Polish website Wirtualnemedia, Poland will be present at Eurovision 2025, putting an end to the deafening silence surrounding the country’s participation. Also according to the same website, the state broadcaster, TVP, will announce today the call for artists interested in representing the country. At the moment there is no information on the method by which Poland’s participation in Basel Switzerland will be chosen.

This year Poland was represented by Luna with the song “The Tower” without however managing to qualify for the grand final as she finished in 12th place in the first semi-final with 35 points.

https://youtu.be/ESKG8Uo1YaU

Source: Wirtualnemedia

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The Netherlands: Anouk submitted a bid for Eurovision 2025!

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As the deadline for artists to submit their entries for Eurovision 2025 approaches, AVROTROS, the Dutch broadcaster, has experienced a surprising surge of interest. Among the most notable developments is the confirmation of Anouk’s participation, a speculation that began earlier this summer but has now been officially confirmed.

Anouk to Eurovision 2025: A Long-Awaited Return?

In July, Anouk, who represented The Netherlands at Eurovision 2013 with her hit “Birds,” expressed her desire to return to the contest. She had hinted at the possibility of participating in Eurovision 2025 with a new track, mentioning at the time:

I have recorded a strong track… perfect for the Eurovision Song Contest, but there’s no committee anymore, so I don’t know who to send it to.

Since AVROTROS confirmed its participation in Eurovision 2025 and the submission process began, fans were eager to find out whether Anouk would indeed submit her song. The Dutch singer had stated that she was awaiting an official invitation from AVROTROS to participate in the selection process.

Anouk Has Submitted a Song

In a recent appearance on RTL Boulevard, Anouk revealed that she has officially submitted a song for Eurovision 2025.

“A lot of people can breathe easy,” she joked, adding that the song is not a melancholic ballad.

“No birds falling from the roof,” she said, referring to her 2013 hit.

Instead, Anouk described the track as “a pretty hard song,” much to the relief of those who were concerned she might return with another ballad entry.

“May the Best Win”

Despite submitting a song for Eurovision 2025, Anouk maintains a laid-back attitude about the outcome of the selection process. She emphasized that she has no problem if her song doesn’t make it to Eurovision, as she has already represented The Netherlands once before. Anouk also shared that it is not the first time she faced rejection from AVROTROS. In fact, she had previously submitted a song in collaboration with rapper Latifah, but the committee ultimately chose “Europapa” by Joost Klein instead.

Anouk’s previous Eurovision participation in 2013 marked a turning point for The Netherlands, which had suffered a nine-year streak of non-qualification at the contest. Her entry, “Birds,” finished in 9th place, bringing the country back into the spotlight and reigniting the Netherlands’ success in the competition.

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Source: RTL

Sweden: Four more artists rumored to take part in Melodifestivalen 2025!

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In anticipation of the official announcement of the Melodifestivalen 2025 line, Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet has revealed four entries, who seem to add the list of the artists who will compete for a chance to represent Sweden at Eurovision 2025.

  • Linnea Henriksson: Multi-talented singer with a significant career in Sweden, known to the fans as she presented Melodifestival 2020. In 2022 she was due to commentate the contest in Turin, but was forced to cancel after she tested positive for COVID-19. She made her debut in the music world in 2010 when she participated in the “Idol” contest.
  • Ella Tiritiello: She attracted a lot of attention when, at the age of 14, she sang from the roof of the Globes during the tribute to Avicii that marked the beginning of the official name change of the classic Stockholm arena to Avicii arena. Τhe 18 year old is rumoured to compete with a swedish ballad.
  • Fredrik Lundman: The Swedish cowboy became known for his participation in the 2021 Idol competition for which he was singled out for his love of country music and style.
  • Erik Segerstedt: He first appeared on the TV4 talent show in 2006 in which he finished second. He is well known to fans of the competition as he has successfully participated in Melodifestivalen in the past, in 2009 together with Danny Saucedo and Mattias Andréasson in the band EMD which finished third with “Baby goodbye” and in 2013 in a duet with Tone Damli with the song “Hello goodbye” which reached the Second Chance.According to Aftonbladet,  SVT’s intention is to present the entire line up at a press conference at the end of November.

    With the new additions, we are now able to know 25 out of the 30 artists who seem to be participating in Melodifestivalen 2025. According to the already published lists, the following artists will be present at the upcoming edition of Melodifestivalen:

  • Frans
  • Måns Zelmerlöw
  • Arvingarna
  • John Lundvik
  • Kalifa
  • Andreas Lundstedt
  • Dolly-Style
  • Malou Prytz
  • Klara Hammarström
  • Scarlet
  • Maja Ivarsson
  • Meira Omar
  • Annika Wickihalder
  • Tennessee Tears
  • Angelino
  • Kristofer Greczula
  • Björn Holmgren
  • KAJ
  • Arwin
  • Albin Johnsén
  • Nomi Bontegard

Source: aftonbladet

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Junior Eurovision 2024: Opening Ceremony to be held behind closed doors!

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Spain is preparing to welcome the delegations from the seventeen countries competing in the 22nd Junior Eurovision Song Contest. Although this will be the first time Spain hosts the event, and the first time since 1969 that a Eurovision event is held in the Iberian country, recent developments have forced alterations to the contest’s original planning.

The Opening Ceremony

The Junior Eurovision Song Contest traditionally kicks off with the Opening Ceremony, where all participating artists, national delegations, and accredited press are welcomed. However, due to the recent devastation caused by Storm DANA in Spain, the celebratory atmosphere of the event will be toned down.

According to ESCPlus, instead of the usual grand ceremony, this year’s event will feature a simple reception for the artists, which will not be open to the accredited press or the public. For the first time in recent years, the Opening Ceremony will not be broadcast online via the official Junior Eurovision website, JuniorEurovision.tv.

Nevertheless, the importance of the ceremony itself has been reduced this year, as the running order draw for the contest took place earlier, rather than during the Opening Ceremony.

Despite these changes, Spain remains committed to ensuring the safe and successful execution of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. While the celebrations may be more subdued, the event will continue as planned, and the country looks forward to hosting this important competition, albeit under altered circumstances.

Junior Eurovision 2024

Seventeen countries will take part in the 22nd edition of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest:

  1. Italy: Simone Grande – “Pigiama Party”
  2. Estonia: Annabelle – “Tänavad”
  3. Albania: Nikol Çabeli – “Vallëzoj”
  4. Armenia: Leo – “Cosmic Friend”
  5. Cyprus: Maria Pissarides – “Crystal Waters”
  6. France: Titouan – “Comme ci, comme ça”
  7. North Macedonia: Ana and Aleksej – “Marathon”
  8. Poland: Dominik Arim – “All Together”
  9. Georgia: Andria Putkaradze – “To My Mom”
  10. Spain: Chloe DelaRosa – “Como la Lola”
  11. Germany: Bjarne – “Save the Best For Us”
  12. Netherlands: Stay Tuned – “Music”
  13. San Marino: Idols SM – “Come noi”
  14. Ukraine: Artem Kotenko – “Hear Me Now”
  15. Portugal: Victoria Nicole – “Esperança”
  16. Ireland – Enya Cox Dempsey – “Le Chéile”
  17. Malta: Ramires Sciberras – “Stilla ċkejkna”

The 22nd edition of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest will be held on November 16 in Madrid, Spain, following the country’s second-place finish last year and the refusal of the winning country, France, to host for the second year in a row. The slogan for this year’s contest is “Let’s Bloom!”, while Ruth Lorenzo, Marc Clotet and Melani Garcia will serve as this year’s hosts.

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Source: ESCPlus

Sweden: Keyyo and Edvin Törnblom are the hosts of Melodifestivalen 2025!

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The national broadcaster of Sweden, SVT, announced today the hosts of Melodifestivalen 2025!

Kristina “Keyyo” Petrushin and Edvin Törnblom are going to host Melodifestivalen 2025, the competition that determines Sweden’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest.

Russian-Swedish comedian Keyyo, or Kristina Petrushina as she is called, made her breakthrough already in her teens with her sketches on Youtube. Since then, she has continued to make humor, podcasts and TV shows. She has previously hosted “Kristallen” and “Talang”, among others. She has also had her own TV series, including the comedy series “Keyyo & Co” on SVT and runs the humor podcast “Frågar åt en kompis”  with Hampus Hedström.

“I am really looking forward to sharing this fantastic journey with Edvin, who, like me, has a deep love for the competition. We will do our utmost to invite everyone to a Mello where everyone feels part of the party.”

Edvin Törnblom started his career as an intern at “Filip och Fredriks Breaking news”, where he worked his way up. Since then, he has worked at SVT, Sveriges Radio and since 2020 runs the humor podcast “Ursäkta” with Johanna Nordström. In 2022, he released his first book “Bögen är lös”, the same year he hosted the QX Gay Gala with Sissela Benn.

“I love this competition almost most of all in the world so I will take good care of it. I am so much looking forward to sharing this crazy journey together with Keyyo, the artists and all Mello lovers”

Melodifestivalen 2025 schedule is as per below:

  • February 1st: Semi-final 1 – Luleå
  • February 8th: Semi-final 2 – Gothenburg
  • February 15th: Semi-final 3 – Västerås
  • February 22nd: Semi-final 4 – Malmö
  • March 1st: Semi-final 5 – Jönköping
  • March 8th: Grand Final – Stockholm

Source: SVT

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Sweden: Surprise new entry added to the line-up of Melodifestival 2025!

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In anticipation of the announcement of the participants for Melodifestivalen 2025, Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet has revealed an entry that seems to shake things up among the contenders for Sweden’s representative at Eurovision 2025.

Maria Persson from Blender, Maria Rolf from Titanix, and Sandra Estberg from Martinez are the three singers from three different dance groups that seems to have been specially selected to form a female supergroup, ready to compete in Melodifestivalen 2025.

The aim of this collaboration, according to the source, is to strengthen the presence of female dance groups, a category that has not been very common in the past, as most of the dance groups like Arvingarna, Lasse Stefanz, and Casanovas that participated in Melodifestivalen had only male members.

According to the soursces backstage, Melodifestivalen’s producer Karin Gunnarsson worked hard to find the right artists and the perfect song in order to carry out this challenging project, as it was important to include a female-led dance group this time.

The song is described as a powerful, pop, dance track, which is said to have been written by Swedish composer and producer Mikael Karlsson, who is credited as a writter in“I Do” by Arvingarna, which competed in Melodifestivalen 2019 and became very popular.

SOURCE: Aftonbladet

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Ukraine: Possible date of Vidbir 2025 the 8th of February!

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Vidbir 2025 will possibly take place on Saturday, 8th of February 2025!

According to the announcement by the national broadcaster of Ukraine, Suspilne,Vidbir 2025, the national competion through which the country is going to choose their representative for Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Basel, will probably take place on 8th February 2025.

The reason why the date is considered probable and not guaranteed is because the holding of Vidbir for 2025 should be held based on a specific creative and technical proposal. This proposal should take into account security issues at a time when martial law is still in effect, the correct setting of the stage, and the director’s vision which includes, among other things, the work involved in producing the performances of the ten artists, conducting of the rehearsals, ensuring the procedure that the jury will follow as well as the correct broadcast of the show.

The winner will emerge through the combined result of the public and jury votes and will have the chance to represent Ukraine in Eurovision 2025 in Basel.

Source: Suspilne

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SuRie would like to return to Eurovision

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UK Eurovision representative SuRie would gladly return to the Eurovision stage should the opportunity arise. However, there are no plans to return to the contest in the near future.

The artist worked twice as a backing vocalist with the Belgium delegation in 2015 and 2017 before she represented the UK in Lisbon.  In 2015 she was on a Eurovision stage for the first time as one of the backing vocalists of Loïc Nottet.  Two years later, she supported Blanche but on this occasion, she had a more direct role, working backstage with Blanche:

“I had more of a role backstage working one-on-one with Blanche. And I don’t know what job title we want to give that; psychoanalyst, guru, mentor, friend, supporter, I don’t know. But it was more responsibility than I had with Loïc.”

In an interview for The Euro Trip, SuRie did not hesitate that she would return to Eurovision if she had the chance to do it.  Moreover, she shared that her Eurovision passion goes beyond these three participations.  More than a decade before, SuRie recorded the song One Day Love Will Find A Way with the hope of participating in the Junior Eurovision.  She submitted her entry but unfortunately, she did not get selected.

“It’s the most beautiful, brilliant show, produced and run by the most amazingly talented people. Why would you not want to work with those people in any capacity?”

SuRie represented the United Kingdom in 2018 with her song Storms.  Her performance is also remembered for an incident with a spectator who invaded the stage and took SuRie’s microphone.  Despite this disruption of her performance, SuRie carried on with her interpretation.  She finished in 24th place in the Final.

Source: The Eurotrip Podcast

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No EBU member has expressed official resentment οver Israel’s participation in Eurovision 2024!

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In a quiet but significant revelation, it is confirmed that there have been no official complaints from any member-broadcaster regarding Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. The statement was made by Bakel Walden, the current chair of the Eurovision Song Contest Reference Group, during an interview on the ESC Insight podcast.

Walden explained that the decision regarding Israel’s inclusion in Eurovision 2024 was straightforward, emphasizing that as long as a broadcaster follows the rules, they are eligible to participate. He clarified that despite some differing opinions on social media and from certain delegations, there was no formal objection from any EBU member:

It was very simple. They [KAN] are a member of EBU, and it has been expressed many times by the EBU that as long as you play by the rules, you are eligible to participate. That was the case for KAN, and they are eligible. There were obviously different opinions in social media, we’ve heard from delegations, etc., but at the end of the day, there was not one single member of the EBU who expressed any official resentment.

Russia vs. Israel: A Different Scenario

The comparison between Russia’s disqualification from the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest due to the invasion of Ukraine and Israel’s ongoing participation was inevitable. However, Walden stressed that the circumstances surrounding the two countries are fundamentally different. He pointed out that Russia’s exclusion was related to its state broadcaster engaging in propaganda that violated the values of the EBU, whereas Israel’s situation is distinct.

There’s a clear difference between a state broadcaster that is just following propaganda, which is not actually playing by the rules and values of the EBU.

KAN itself has been in a difficult situation, also with the Israeli government. There is a different situation in how they position themselves, but I absolutely acknowledge that me and the Reference Group have been very much aware that the difference hasn’t been clear and hasn’t been accepted by a lot of people.

Walden further acknowledged that the EBU had not communicated this distinction clearly or transparently in the past, and that this lack of clarity has contributed to confusion and controversy. He called this a “learning experience for the EBU and the Reference Group“.

Walden’s comments effectively put to rest rumors that certain broadcasters had expressed a desire to withdraw from Eurovision 2024 due to Israel’s participation before or during the contest. The decision reaffirms that as long as a broadcaster is a member of the EBU and adheres to the rules, they are welcome to take part in the competition.

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Source: ESC Insight