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Slovakia: RTVS might return in Eurovision 2023!

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The Slovakian broadcaster, RTVS, could still decide on a possible return to the Eurovision Song Contest in 2023.

Slovakia will not make its decision on whether to compete in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 until at least, August. Nevertheless, earlier this week the broadcaster had stated that it would not be competing in next year’s contest.

The decision will not be taken before the election of the new Director-General of RTVS. Eight people are in the running to be the next Director-General of the Slovak broadcaster:

  1. Jaroslav Rezník – Current Director-General of RTVS
  2. Tibor Búza
  3. Ivan Golian
  4. Ľuboš Macha
  5. Daniel Živica
  6. Peter Badač
  7. Vladimir Seman
  8. Peter Janků

The eight candidates are due to meet the Slovak National Council on Monday which will determine the new Head of Slovak radio and television during the next month. Once the new management team has been determined then a decision will be taken on the 2023 broadcasting plans.

Since its debut in 1994, Slovakia has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest a total of seven times. Slovakia’s best result was in 1996 when Marcel Palonder finished 18th with the song “Kým nás máš”. The country has a history of withdrawing and returning to the contest. They were relegated from the contest in 1995 and 1997. They then withdrew from the contest entirely between 1999 and 2008, and again from 2013 onwards.

All Slovak entries between 2009 and 2012 failed to progress from the semi-finals. Although it failed to qualify, their 2010 entry “Horehronie” by Kristina is one of the most viewed videos on the official Eurovision YouTube channel.

How would you feel about a possible Slovak return? Write us in the comments below! 

Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for all the news regarding the ΧΧ participation at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023!

Source: eurovoix.com

Ukraine: Goverment forms organizing committee for Eurovision 2023!

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The Ukrainian Government has announced that a Committee has been formed to help organising the Eurovision Song Contest 2023.

Taras Melnychuk, the Government Representative in the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) has announced that a Committee has been formed for the Eurovision Song Contest 2023. The composition of the committee was signed off today among a number of other measures.

Ukraine’s Minister of Culture and Information Oleksandr Tkachenko recognises that the war is the first and foremost factor as to why Ukraine is being viewed as unlikely to host the contest in 2023 unless peace should come to the country in the next couple of months. He stated last week that:

We have no doubt that it should take place in Ukraine. The only thing is that no one has ever held Eurovision during war […] We are now looking for answers with our colleagues to the most important conditions set by the European Broadcasting Union, but I think that we will have to explain during our dialogue that some conditions need to be changed.

Mr. Tkachenko recognizes that due to the current war, hosting is not a given, while he revealed that he will have talks with EBU representatives today. He also added that negotiations will be difficult but he hopes the 2023 contest will be held in Ukraine.

Even though there is less than a month since the Grand Final, several countries have declared their provisional interest to host the contest, in case Ukraine is not able. These countries are:

  • Sweden
  • Iceland
  • Poland
  • Spain
  • Italy
  • The Netherlands
  • Switzerland

Ukraine won this year’s contest with the song “Stefania” by Kalush Orchestra:

https://youtu.be/F1fl60ypdLs

Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for all the news regarding Eurovision Song Contest 2023!

Source: eurovoix.com

United Kingdom: The first Delegation meeting for Eurovision 2023 took place today!

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The delegation of the United Kingdom for Eurovision surprised their fans today, announcing that the first meeting for 2023 took place, prompting speculation about what the meeting entailed.

Instead of the meeting being a 2022 report, Lee Smithurst, a producer of BBC and a member of the UK delegation, posted on his personal Instagram account that it was also the first meeting for Eurovision 2023.

These news has created a lot of speculation among the British fans of Eurovision, regarding the content of the meeting, including the next artist, but also the submission of the interest of hosting for 2023. Although the preparations in Ukraine started a while ago, there is a feeling that the competition will end up being organized in cooperation with another European country, due to the ongoing invasion of Russia in Ukraine.

In any case, it is unusually early for the United Kingdom to host a meeting, so it seems the BBC is not resting after the second place in Turin last month!

The United Kingdom earned their best result since 1998 with Sam Ryder’s “Space Man”, finishing second behind Ukraine and earning 466 points.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZ0hqX_92zI&list=PLmWYEDTNOGUJVTOMa-ZEmF0y7Iwkg11e2&index=4

Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for all the news regarding the participation of the United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023!

Source: escunited.com

Albania: Song Submissions for Festivali i Këngës have opened!

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Just a few weeks after Eurovision 2022 took place in Turin, Italy, the song submissions for Festivali i Këngës are now open! Festivali i Këngës is an annual music competition organised by Albania’s national broadcaster (RTSH). It has been broadcast every year since its debut in 1962 and since 2004 it also determines the country’s representative for the Eurovision Song Contest.

The requirements for artists to submit an entry are as follows:

  • The final version of the song.
  • The entry must be no longer than 4 minutes.
  • The final version of the instrumental track, with and without backing vocals.
  • The lyrics of the song.
  • The names of the producers of the song, the lyricist and the composer.
  • Artistic photographs, biography of the singer or band, including other activities, awards and features.

Last year’s winner of Festivali i Këngës, Ronela Hajati with the song “Sekret”, finished twelfth in the first semi-final with 58 points.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jWXmo0-ZjI&feature=emb_title

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the news regarding Albania’s participation in Eurovision 2023!

Source: RTSH.al

Spain: RTVE is currently reviewing all elements of Benidorm Fest for 2023!

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The Head of the Spanish Delegation, Eva Mora has confirmed that all elements of Benidorm Fest are under review for the next edition in 2023.

Speaking on RTVE, Eva Mora shared some details of the discussions that are currently underway regarding the next edition of Benidorm Fest, for Eurovision 2023. The broadcaster is discussing all elements regarding the new show including dates, number of shows, and how to encourage artists and songwriters to participate.

Eva Mora confirmed however that the professional jury which helped to select the Spanish representative in 2022 will remain for next year. The Head of Delegation explained:

“You always have to tweak things and modify something. The issue of juries has generated a lot of controversy, but the existence of a professional jury is essential. You cannot leave an international proposal in the hands of televoting because we, as people, do not have that perspective to assess a proposal, we let ourselves be carried away more by passion and by tastes.”

The Spanish Head of Delegation is aiming to make Benidorm Fest an essential part of the Spanish music industry:

“We want everyone to want to be at the Benidorm Fest … The Benidorm Fest has to be the engine of the music industry in this country.”

The winner of last year’s Benidorm Fest, Chanel placed 3rd with “SloMo” scoring a total of 459 points.

https://youtu.be/jSQYTt4xg3I

Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for all the news regarding the Spanish participation at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023!

Source: eurovoix.com

Switzerland: Offers to host Eurovision 2023!

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Among all the talk about the venue of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, the Swiss newspaper Blick reports that given the current situation in Ukraine, it doesn’t seem possible that a safe contest will be held in the country.

The Swiss Head of Delegation, Yves Schifferle, was asked some questions about the situation and then made an assessment:

“Of course we are worried about how the Swiss delegation will travel to a country where the situation will be uncertain in a year from now. I am sure that EBU will check and evaluate whether Eurovision can take place in Ukraine and if so, under the appropriate conditions.”

Blick.ch then informs us that we can wait for the final decision regarding the hosting in Ukraine, in the summer. Yves Schifferle then hints that he does not rule out the possibility of Eurovision taking place in Switzerland

“If the EBU asked for it, the SRG SSR would have checked whether Switzerland is the right place for the Eurovision Song Contest 2023. However, no such proposal has been made.”

So we could not assume that Eurovision 2023 will be held in any of the Central European countries. Although Switzerland would certainly be in such thoughts last year, as a victory for Gjon’s Tears was more than possible. However, at present there is no indication that the EBU will grant the hosting to another country if it cannot actually be held in Ukraine

Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for all the news regarding the Eurovision Song Contest 2023!

Source: esc-kompakt.de

The plans of Greece and Cyprus for Eurovision 2023!

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Even though the Grand Final of Eurovision 2022 was less than a month ago, the Greek and the Cypriot public broadcasters, ERT and RIK, are already thinking ahead for their next representatives, while some decisions have already been made. Let’s see in detail what we know so far.

Cyprus: All Together for…Eurovision!

A few days ago, we wrote about the rumors that the planned for the fall of 2022 show All Together Now of Greek broadcaster Alpha TV, will be used to find the representative of Cyprus for Eurovision 2023. Today, the biggest newspaper of Cyprus, Fileleftheros, published an article on this as well as OGAE Greece, which usually has inside information from the Cypriot public broadcaster. These articles can be seen as a confirmation that Cyprus will choose its representative through All Together Now, produced by BarkingWell Media and in cooperation with Panik Records. It seems that Nikos Koklonis will be the host of the show which is set to premiere in mid-October and be aired every Saturday night on both Alpha TV and RIK, while among the panel of 100 there will be singers, vocal coaches and eurofans. The song will be chosen at a later stage.

Greece: ERT aims for another top10 result

During September there will be official announcements from ERT on the selection process for 2023. After placing 8th in the Grand final and 6th from the juries, which is the best ranking for a Greek entry by the juries since 1992, ERT aims to be for the third time in a row in the top 10, something that is proven to be difficult the recent years since only Greece, Ukraine and Italy have managed to be in the top10 two consecutive times.

ERT will most probably follow the same procedure as the last two years, launching an open invitation for artists to submit a proposal for Eurovision 2023, (including the song, a record label, production team etc.) while a jury of music professionals will decide who will represent Greece next year.

Decisions on the details for the selection process for Eurovision 2023 will be taken after the announcement of the new CEO of ERT, which is not expected before the end of the summer.

Stay tuned on eurovisionfun.com and on our social media platforms, where we post our proposals for the next representative of Greece. Maybe among them, the successor of Amanda Georgiadis Tenfjord has already -or will- be mentioned!

 

Who do you think should represent Greece and Cyprus next year? Tell us in the comments!

Eurovision 2023: Kyiv states it’s ready to host the contest!

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The complex issue of the hosting of Eurovision 2023 seems to be developing, with the Office of the Mayor of Kyiv stating that the Ukrainian capital is ready to host Eurovision 2023, if asked.

In particular, the Deputy Head of the State Administration of the city of Kyiv, Mykola Povoroznyk, stated the following:

We are ready to host Eurovision. We have all the infrastructure prepared for it. I do not think it is appropriate to build something new, we will focus on what we already have – within a year, in the current circumstances, it is quite difficult to build something new. If the organizers trust us, we will hold a competition of high international level.

Kyiv is the first Ukrainian city to express interest in hosting the competition after the country’s victory with Kalush Orchestra, as well as the one that hosted the competition in 2005 and 2017, thanks to the country’s first two victories.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the developments regarding Eurovision 2023!

Romanian broadcaster launches online poll about the future of the country in the contest

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As we previously reported, Romanian national broadcaster TVR is considering to withdraw from the contest after the announcement of EBU regarding irregular voting patterns of 6 national juries in the semi-final, including the Romanian jury.

As part of the show which TVR will broadcast tonight called Referéndum, the broadcaster has launched an online poll, asking audience to vote if they want Romania to participate again in Eurovision.

 

As of the time these lines are written, more than 5800 have voted and the results so far are:

YES – 53%

NO – 38%

DONT KNOW/DONT CARE – 7%

 

The poll and whether Romania should participate in Eurovision 2023 will be discussed on Monday 23rd of May at 9Pm on TVR 1. You can watch the show live through the video below:

 

Do you think Romania will take part in Eurovision 2023? Tell us in the comments!

Cyprus: Is All Together Now the national selection show for 2023?

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Although Andromachi did not qualify for the final and RIK had the lowest rating of a Eurovision final since 2013,the Cypriot public broadcaster is already planning its selection for Eurovision 2023.

There have been hints since September this year, when the CEO of Panik Records Giorgos Arsenakos revealed in an interview to OK magazine, that Panik was in talks with RIK already for the 2023 contest about a talent show, the winner of which will represent Cyprus in Eurovision 2023.

Even though there is no official announcement yet, Greek online media are reporting that the BBC format All Together Now, which will be aired on Alpha TV the fall of 2022, is going to be the show where the representative of Cyprus for the 2023 contest will be chosen. The format has been successfully adapted by many countries and in each episode, contestants perform in front of 100 judges, aiming to gain their vote. In the Greek version,  it is rumored that the judges will be 50 instead of 100 and it will include singers, songwriters and radio producers among them. The production will be by Barking Well Media, and seems that the host will be the owner of the production company and TV host, Nikos Koklonis.

Below you can see the 2019 UK representative Michael Rise, who rose to fame through the British version of All together Now when he got the vote of all 100 judges.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDkG8abBAzE

What do you think about All Together Now being the potential national selection show of the 2023 Cypriot entry? Tell us in the comments!