Wogan Ponders Eurovision Future

[efq]

Veteran commentator Sir Terry Wogan has said Eurovision is "no longer a music contest" and cast doubt on whether he would cover the event again.

http://static.sky.com/images/pictures/1682134.jpg Victory for Russia's Dima Bilan

He spoke out against the perceived "bloc voting" of allied nations after Britain's entry Andy Abraham had a disappointing night in the 53rd contest.
The former binman finished joint last of the 25 finalists at the show in the Serbian capital Belgrade, with only 14 points.
At the other end of the table, heart throb Dima Bilan of Russia romped to a massive 272-point victory with his ballad Believe, produced by US r&b star Timbaland.
The 26-year-old Russian singer had been level with Greece until the final votes from former communist bloc countries started to come in.
Bilan was joined on the stage by famous Russian Olympic skater Yevgeny Plyushchenko, who pirouetted on artificial ice to the tune.
Sir Terry said he didn't want to take away anything from Russia's entry - which won comfortably - but suggested some nations might want to reconsider their role in the event.
http://static.sky.com/images/pictures/1682136.jpg Sir Terry has commentated on Eurovision every year since 1973

"I have to decide whether I want to do this again. Western European participants have to decide whether they want to to take part from here on in, because their prospects are poor, he said.
The broadcaster added that Abraham, who found fame on TV talent show the X Factor, deserved more votes from other countries than he received.
"It's a disappointment, considering that Andy Abraham gave, I think, the performance of his life with a song that certainly deserved more marks than it got," Sir Terry remarked.
Abraham's Even If appeared doomed before the contest even began, with bookmakers giving it long odds of 66-1 to win.
The competition, held in Belgrade after Marija Serifovic's ballad clinched victory for Serbia in its debut as a solo nation in 2007, was broadcast live across Europe to an estimated audience of 100 million people.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-1317083,00.html

I agree, but then I am for portugal and we didn't come last.
Unlucky that rest of Europe never vote UK.

[FunerealSerap]

Unlucky that rest of Europe never vote UK.

Because we're an island. We have no "neighbours", and as Sir Terry said himself, this isn't a music competition anymore, it's almost a political debate.

We have no neighbours, so regardless of how good our song is, doesn't matter if it's the best song in the whole of the Eurovision, we wont win because we're an island.

I completely agree with Terry, when he said "I wonder if the whole of Western Europe will even bother to participate next year", since the majority of Eastern Europe is conjoined and will vote for each other, regardless.

And what's most annoying, is that we, the British taxpayers, pay for the Eurovision.

I hope that the UK will slowly refuse to enter the Eurovision due to political voting, and if we do, I hope that we eventually stop funding it and thus, no bloody Eurovision for any of the useless mindless sheep in the Balkans. :)

[brandon]

If we still do it next year then I hope we enter a joke act. Because thats exactly what i is.

[reeana]

I was reading about this! It's utter rubbish! We will never win! It iwll be a miracle if we do!

And thank god to Ireland :rolls eyes:

We should have someone like.. CHIKO! (However you spell his name)

[JessicaLOL]

its just all about neighbour countries now.. its not like we have many in the comp?
its never about who sings the best, its just about staying in with your neighbours so whats the point..
you can even GUESS who a certain country is going to give there 12 points too, its disappointing how people from the UK dont even support the UK anymore.
Even germany didnt vote us this year, nor france so basically we got points of a country we didnt really well usually get from.. and ireland who just give us it for sympathy i think.

[Redacted]

Everyone hates us :(

[Jordy]

I cringe and watch Eurovision each year, and I think the UK tends to have an entertaining act, and this year it had a very good act. We're never actually the worst or the best in Eurovision, there's a lot worse acts which get much higher. It really irritates me and I know we can't win, however people still watch it, laugh and get annoyed so they're going to keep it on if loads still watch it.

Keep it on the telly, it is entertainment/comedy at the end of the day even if it politically driven. However I don't agree we fund it, the UK, Germany, France and Spain fund the majority of the event so us 4 countries get 'exclusiveness' and get to skip the semi-finals however crap our act is.

I don't think we should of funded it, but the good news is that next year, the 4 exclusive countries won't be funding it and as a result the competition will be scaled down next year.

[Geraint]

It's stupid. Spain were absolute ***** yet Portugal give them 12 points. Montenegro gave 12 points to Serbia. So, you split up because you like each other, yeah? All the Soviet countries vote for each other. They hate each other. The only two countries who hate each other so much are the Greeks and Turks who would never vote for each other in a million years.

[kk.]

To be quite honest, I dont really mind us not winning. Think about it, we would have to pay to get quite a lot of it looking good and we dont really need it because we're already a large country. Others will need it to grow and especially because of the current state of the economy, I dont think we could cope with the olympics and eurobosion so close together.

It would be a shame to see him go though,he's a great commentator and would be missed. Makes me laugh every year

[Hazza]

I've heard it said somewhere but we always choose people that have either been in talent shows & not quite made it. Whereas Russia for example - Has there biggest star? Why not take a leaf out of there book. :)

[brandon]

I've heard it said somewhere but we always choose people that have either been in talent shows & not quite made it. Whereas Russia for example - Has there biggest star? Why not take a leaf out of there book. :)
Difference is, with Russia the "biggest star" that performs knows they will do well anyway because of the block voting. Where as none of our big stars would perform, they'd know we would fail anyway and it could harm their career.

[kk.]

people dont want to waste their time or possibly ruin their career with a poncy little competition which every year we end up last or next to. I can't really fault their logic to be honest, it is a stupid competition and I think it would be good to have world vision or something

[Jordy]

To be quite honest, I dont really mind us not winning. Think about it, we would have to pay to get quite a lot of it looking good and we dont really need it because we're already a large country. Others will need it to grow and especially because of the current state of the economy, I dont think we could cope with the olympics and eurobosion so close together.

It would be a shame to see him go though,he's a great commentator and would be missed. Makes me laugh every yearEurovision is just a tiny event, it'd just be like holding another big rock concert at Wembley, however the Olmypics, that's an entirely different matter. Besides Olympics are 2012, you hold Eurovision the year after?

Eurovision doesn't even help countries to grow, it does the tourist industry a little bit of good but before the 'big four' started funding it, countries like Estonia actually hated hosting it because they lost so much money out of it, they began having dreadful acts so they deliberately wouldn't win it.

[kk.]

Eurovision is just a tiny event, it'd just be like holding another big rock concert at Wembley, however the Olmypics, that's an entirely different matter. Besides Olympics are 2012, you hold Eurovision the year after?

Eurovision doesn't even help countries to grow, it does the tourist industry a little bit of good but before the 'big four' started funding it, countries like Estonia actually hated hosting it because they lost so much money out of it, they began having dreadful acts so they deliberately wouldn't win it.

it brings more money into the economy which would result in more spending. Its not really a tiny event... It has 43 countries or more competing and voting, governments recieve some of this money and the tourist industry gains a whole lot. The foreigners will spend money on food, drink etc and will also increase the demand for the currency if its not the euro and theirfor strengthens it against others. Investment would increase to get the
most out of the opportunity.

Smaller countries will get more out of it than others admitedly. By the way, I'm about to take my business and economics exam next week and have been revising it so sorry if I bore you lol

[Jordy]

it brings more money into the economy which would result in more spending. Its not really a tiny event... It has 43 countries or more competing and voting, governments recieve some of this money and the tourist industry gains a whole lot. The foreigners will spend money on food, drink etc and will also increase the demand for the currency if its not the euro and theirfor strengthens it against others. Investment would increase to get the
most out of the opportunity.

Smaller countries will get more out of it than others admitedly. By the way, I'm about to take my business and economics exam next week and have been revising it so sorry if I bore you lolWell you are right, it would do all them things but on such a small level it wouldn't effect much. They'd spend a day in the country, about 30,000 people? Seriously it's not that much to change an economy.

Those things you've mentioned will be effected by things like the Olympics though as a lot more come for a longer duration.

Good luck with your exam :eusa_danc

[kk.]

you would go for about 3 if it was in UK or something not a border away. But you have quite a large portion of the country tuning in or going out drinking (whether having fun with it or you really hate it lol) which would bring in a lot :P the olympics is a lot bigger and I agree. , would affect them longer
and a lot harder. I really think we're going to struggle in the coming years because of how much its costing and the fragile state we are in.

I'm really stressing about the exam.. 3 hours worth and its the sort of area I'm interested in and to study at university. Thanks :)