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Österdahl: ‘new’ qualifier announcement system not an improvement

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The Executive Supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest, Master Österdahl reflected about the proposed changes to the qualifier announcement system.  The qualifier announcement for the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 would have changed according to a proposal.

During the first Dress rehearsal, the competing acts had to stand on stage.  After that the presenters announced the names of the candidates who would have qualified for the Grand Final.  This would have been a big change in the rules.  Before the candidates waited with their teams in the Green room for the qualifiers announcement.

However, the proposal was finally dismissed just two hours before the preview show.  Österdahl has reflected in the aftermath of this failed proposal.  The executive producer explained that it is a part of Eurovision to try new things every year to keep the show relevant:

“I think it’s really important to keep the show contemporary and keep it relevant. We usually say that we want to tweak 10% [of the show] every year (…) The BBC are great producers. They’ve done so many great shows. They’ve got some great ideas and have made a lot of great improvements already (…) We felt when we tried this out that it was not an improvement, so the decision was not to do it.”

The change in the announcement system was not well received among fans and even some of the member delegations.  According to The Euro Trip, a member of one country’s delegation in the First Semi-Final said the new announcement system was “like the Hunger Games”.

100% Televote for the Grand Final?

Nevertheless, there is one big change for this year Eurovision.  For the first time since 2009, a 100% televote made the result of the Semi-Finals.  In addition to this we saw for the first time a “Rest Of the World” televote for the viewers outside the competing countries.

Moreover, Mr. Österdahl does not discard more changes in the voting system including a 100% televote for the Grand Final:

“We’ll see (…) I’d like to take it step by step. We always review the rules [and] the entire rule book of the Eurovision Song Contest on an annual basis (…) So if we try something one year, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s gonna be like that forever.”

Source: The Euro Trip

Do you like a return to the old qualifiers announcement system? Would you like to see a return to 100% Televote for the Grand Final?  Let us know in the comments!

Martin Österdahl: “The decision to exclude Russia from Eurovision was hard”!

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The executive supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest said the decision to exclude Russia in 2022 was “hard”.

In a recent interview, Martin Österdahl, the executive supervisor of Eurovision, said although the contest was not political it must always reflect the basic values of democracy.

Martin Österdahl made the comments whilst speaking to Abba’s Bjorn Ulvaeus, who was guest editing the flagship UK radio show, BBC’s Today program.

Asked if the decision to exclude Russia from the contest earlier this year was hard, Osterdahl replied:

“It was, and it still is. How Europe feels very much affects the contest. It is also that when you look back in time you see that the Eurovision Song Contest is like a log book of what has happened in Europe, what the trends have been in Europe,” he added. “But, also, what is the kind of mood and sentiment of Europe, and what is the social context of Europe at the time.”

Why was Russia excluded from Eurovision in 2022?

There was international outcry Russia invaded Ukraine in February this year, with the cultural arena becoming an expression for anti-Putin sentiment.

Performances of Russian art and by Russian artists were cancelled in Poland and the UK, with businesses withdrawing from the country and Russian products withdrawn from supermarket shelves in the west.

Amidst all this, a row brewed about Russia’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest with neighbouring Finland the first to say they wouldn’t compete with Russia, while Sweden, the Netherlands and Norway all called for Russia to be excluded.

Eventually the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) did exclude Russia from the contest, with Russian national broadcasters suspending their memberships and the EBU preventing them from participating in future contests.

EBU bans Russia from Eurovision 2022!

 

Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra went on to win in Turin, Italy. However, next year’s contest will be hosted in the city of Liverpool after it was judged too dangerous to hold the event in Ukraine.

“When we say that we are not political, what we always should stand up for are the basic and ultimate values of democracy. Everyone is right to be who they are,” Osterdahl continued. This will be a Eurovision Song Contest that really shows the values that we talk about – solidarity, reaching out, uniting through music.”

What do you think about Russia’s exclusion now, many months after the decision? Write us in the comments below!

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

Source: euronews.com

Eurovision 2022: Two scenarios are being considered for Turin!

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An important revelation in view of Eurovision 2022 was made by the Executive Supervisor of our favorite competition, Martin Österdahl. Speaking on the sidelines of Junior Eurovision 2021 on the OGAE Sweden channel, Österdahl revealed that there are two scenarios on the table in view of the 66th Eurovision Song Contest.

Occasioned by the second Junior Eurovision since the outbreak of the pandemic, the Swedish Executive Producer of Eurovision Song Contest answered about the differences between Warsaw 2020 and Paris 2021:

There were definitely differences. Every year has its challenges, as we say with my team. In Warsaw, last year, we were fortunate that TVP had hosted the 2019 competition and had the necessary experience to host an event like that. Also, the pandemic was at a much earlier stage than now. It was different than this year. Today we know more about the pandemic, but we saw that three or four weeks ago we had the appearance of the Omicron variant that caused a lot of concern to all of us. The point is, when it comes to producing live TV shows, you have to be prepared for the worst and have an alternative scenario ready. But the pandemic complicates the situation.

Scenarios

Asked about the four scenarios that were used for Rotterdam 2021 and whether they would be kept in view of Turin 2022, Martin Österdahl replied:

We have more or less the same mindset that we are still in the middle of the pandemic. We have to prepare in the same way for the competition here in Paris but also for the Eurovision in the spring in Turin. Hopefully, we do not have to continue working with four different scenarios for Turin, as we did for a long time in Rotterdam. Maybe two is the realistic development for Turin. We hope that as the temperature rises, the pandemic will be less complicated.

Live-On-Tape

At the same time, the Executive Supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest explained the EBU’s decision to maintain the use of live-on-tape as an alternative in case something goes wrong:

We have now seen how the new variant affected travel instructions and led to the application of new restrictions. We can not take the risk of this happening again. It is a huge production. There are 41 countries that are going to participate in Eurovision Song Contest in the spring. It is a huge investment on the part of RAI, the organizers of the competition. We must ensure that there is a competition and live-on-tape is the last guarantee that we will have a competition.
With the Omicron mutation spreading rapidly across the length and breadth of the Old Continent, Martin Österdahl’s responses give us a first taste of the EBU and RAI plans for Turin. In any case, the evolution of the pandemic is so unpredictable that any prediction of how Eurovision 2022 will be conducted is risky.

We remind you that the 66th Eurovision Song Contest will take place at the Pala Alpitour in Turin, on 10, 12 and 14 May 2022, with 41 participating countries.Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the news related to the 66th Eurovision Song Contest!

 

Eurovision 2021: The prevailing scenario for the contest | Only vaccinated audience at the Ahoy Arena?

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Many interesting things were said by the executive supervisor of the Eurovision song contest, Martin Österdahl, about the course of the preparation of the next contest, even under the special conditions imposed by the pandemic all over the world.

As of September, the EBU has announced four possible scenarios for Eurovision 2021. Four scenarios that depend on the course of the pandemic and the prevailing epidemiological data.

Most likely are B and C scenario

Martin Österdahl reveals that the most likely scenarios for the 65th Eurovision Song Contest are B and C. That is, a contest with social distancing, masks, rapid tests and fewer fans in the arena and journalists at the press center. Unfortunately, he is not able to rule out scenario D at this time, although he considers it less likely.

We can not predict with the crystal ball, the situation with the pandemic is difficult. What we can say at the moment is that scenario A, ie a regular Eurovision Song Contest, is not possible. However, Scenario B or C is more likely, ie a contest with more or less social distance and some artists may need to make use of the videotape. In the worst case, we will be forced to do the show as in Junior Eurovision, with all delegations competing with videotaped appearances.

The presence of the audience is uncertain

The presence of the fans on the stands of the Ahoy Arena should not be taken for granted. Martin Österdahl emphasizes that the presence of the audience will depend on the decisions of the Dutch government and the measures that will apply during the competition period.

The situation is dynamic and constantly changing. We are not entirely sure how things will be in May, but it seems that the space that will be available in the arena will be limited. Fans are very important for Eurovision, but let’s not forget that the contest is primarily a TV show. It is possible to make a show even without an audience and we will do it if necessary, but we would definitely like to have the audience inside.

Is vaccination mandatory for those in Ahoy?

Another topical issue is the mandatory vaccine, for those who wish to take part in such big events as Eurovision.

We are following developments regarding vaccines. There is no such thing in our regulations at the moment, but it is something we are seeing up close.

When will the final decisions be made?

As announced from the beginning, the final decisions on the scenario that will eventually be used in the conduct of Eurovision 2021 will be taken at the beginning of the year, most likely by February.

It seems that at the beginning of the new year, critical decisions will be made for our preparations.

How do you judge all the above? Which scenario do you think the EBU will follow in the run-up to Eurovision 2021?