I put this in the padded cell because it's clearly now a political popularity competition and nothing else. If Wogan quits in protest, as he will, I wonder if the UK will pull out of future competitions, and whether other western European countries will pick up on it and follow?
I haven't seen it in decades, but this is making it suddenly interesting again, for all the wrong reasons.

Not until we stop watching it...

'Liberal Democrat MP Richard Younger-Ross has tabled a Commons motion which calls on the corporation to withdraw its £173,000 funding for the annual contest. Mr. Younger-Ross described the voting as a "joke" after the UK finished in joint last place this weekend.

However, the BBC has insisted that it will continue to provide funding for as long as the competition is a ratings winner. An average of 7.1 million viewers tuned in for the contest on Saturday night.'

The show is a very cheap item for the BBC to broadcast - not often you can get that length of show with that amount of gullible viewers for that cost.

Remember you do not have to watch it - thanks to PVRs, Sky+, videos, DVDs, CDs, reading, surfing the net etc one can become schedule independent.

It was always bad, I can't understand why there's any interest in it.

who pockets the money from the numptys that phone in to vote?

quote:

The show is a very cheap item for the BBC to broadcast

Not very but relatively cheap compared to all BBC TV output,
& in aunties eyes excellent VFM given the viewing figures.
Acquired programmes (e.g old ropey American TV movies) are by far the cheapest per hour of TV air time filled.

So Derek, I'm a gullible viewer? (Actually since our TV is metered I count as 5,000 gullible viewers).

Watched the music. Went to bed after a few rounds of voting. Few good tunes in there, my personal favorie being Bosnia & Herzegovina. Takes all sorts.

Willy.

They do telephone voting now? That's crazy.
I had no idea that the audience was so large. There is obviously a larger gay community here than I first thought.
Maybe it's the UK at fault here. If we are to continue, it might be better to lampoon it and put in controversial entries that ridicule the pettiness of political voting. Use it as a soapbox.
On second thoughts...who cares!

You said it - in one way the show for the BBC acts as a spoiler to commercial TV as it prevents viewers from watching a commercial channel and so prevents the commercial channels from charging a good fee for adverts during the show.

quote:

... it might be better to lampoon it and put in controversial entries that ridicule the pettiness of political voting. Use it as a soapbox.

Dustin the trend setter?

Eurovision has always been one of those truly naff TV programs that's so bad, that people watch to see if it's going to get any better and it never does.

I love Eurovision and try to watch every year. But with the eastern bloc countries all voting together it has become a bit crazy. This year I watched it in a bar in Elounda while on holiday and the local Cretans were able to predict how much each country would give to Greece, based on past experience. It was great fun being in a country whose entry had some chance of winning. Something that cannot be said of the UK, which seems to pick a crappier song every year.

Nigel

Perhaps we ought to face up to the fact that we actually have the worst song every year.

Mark

Of course, the competition is a joke, people only watch for Wogans commentry, to laugh at the sheer ludicrusness, etc... What serious musician would want anything to do with it anymore?

But isn't it true that the UK contribute more cash to it than any other country?

Interesting to think that due to PCness and now never being allowed to mention a European war in a song, the most successful Eurovision song of all time would probably not now be allowed.

Well...It's not unusual. The UK is like a puppet on a string. If Wogan's going to quit, he needs to be making his mind up. Anyway, congratulations to Russia.

The country hosting the competition (the previous year's winner) pays those costs,
so this year it was Serbia. Next year the citizens of Russia should be asking themselves "WTF?!"

I believe the BBC contributes an equal amount of money to the running costs of the EBU as the other 'senior' member PSBs.

The host country only pays for the ceremony itself, which is far from being the largest cost. The BBC is one of four "Senior" PSBs who yes pay an equal amount, but contribute between them over 60% of the total budget. Basicly, the pundits are complaining western Europe pays and eastern Europe vote tactically to ensure one of them wins, and although perhaps taken out of proportion, there is an element of truth in such claims! It is not just the British press either, the German press (Germany being one of the other 'senior' four) are saying exactly the same thing.

I think you are confusing the functions & activities of the EBU with the ESC Dom.
The ESC is a small part of the EBUs operations.

The senior EBU members pay a relatively high proportion of costs,
because they make most use of the EBUs facilities & services.
The largest cost associatted with the ESC is the final competition,
& that is paid for by the host country.

Lots of people like the ESC, even if it's a 'love to hate' relationship.
Personally I think the ESC is a waste of time & money,
although I admit I enjoyed Dustin & Lordi!

The BBCs membership of The EBU is a different matter,
as the EBU is an important foundation of PSB in Europe, so I'm in favour of that.

Always happy to be corrected by people who know what they're talking about! You used to work for the Beeb didn't you?

I still do but now as a freelancer, which is much better.