Eurovision 2010: Hype... But Too Late As Usual
- Posted by: joel • 25 January, 2010 10:36:53 • Eurovision
The Eurovision Song Contest 2010 is around the corner: between the heats on 25th-27th May and the subsequent final on 29th May, 39 different countries will be participating in Oslo.
Song selection processes are very much in swing across the European Broadcasting Union, with the major exception being the entry from our own fair isle. We usually arrive at the party late and badly prepared, which in my opinion is why we don't have the support we normally do.
Are we complacent because (as funding members of the EBU) we automatically get a 'bye' to the final? Is it just bad management at the BBC? Last November Jayne Collins Casting announced they were looking for acts to potentially represent the UK (*cough*) and more recently the BBC Eurovision team twittered that "the date and format is yet to be announced" in the selection process (adding there would be "an announcement soon", echoed by their micro-site). I've had word from 'the underground' that the BBC team have u-turned on several ideas and the ESC fansites are rife with whinges about it.
But this is not what should be happening! Straight after Christmas the selection process should be started and hyped! By mid to late February we should have an act attempting to hit the charts with a pre-Eurovision song, and then the contest itself! There is plenty of time under the contest rules to have all this sorted, especially as the time limit for the entrant song is that it must not have been written or released prior to 1st October of the previous year. Gah. As one fan put it on the ESCtoday.com site, "seeing as the BBC are a little bit late this year to do a multi-week contest, signs are pointing to a more traditional selection for us this year".
In any case, Nicky and myself won't be in Oslo - we'll be in Wakefield, doing our usual Eurovision party. Best get thinking about costumes!
Song selection processes are very much in swing across the European Broadcasting Union, with the major exception being the entry from our own fair isle. We usually arrive at the party late and badly prepared, which in my opinion is why we don't have the support we normally do.
Are we complacent because (as funding members of the EBU) we automatically get a 'bye' to the final? Is it just bad management at the BBC? Last November Jayne Collins Casting announced they were looking for acts to potentially represent the UK (*cough*) and more recently the BBC Eurovision team twittered that "the date and format is yet to be announced" in the selection process (adding there would be "an announcement soon", echoed by their micro-site). I've had word from 'the underground' that the BBC team have u-turned on several ideas and the ESC fansites are rife with whinges about it.
But this is not what should be happening! Straight after Christmas the selection process should be started and hyped! By mid to late February we should have an act attempting to hit the charts with a pre-Eurovision song, and then the contest itself! There is plenty of time under the contest rules to have all this sorted, especially as the time limit for the entrant song is that it must not have been written or released prior to 1st October of the previous year. Gah. As one fan put it on the ESCtoday.com site, "seeing as the BBC are a little bit late this year to do a multi-week contest, signs are pointing to a more traditional selection for us this year".
In any case, Nicky and myself won't be in Oslo - we'll be in Wakefield, doing our usual Eurovision party. Best get thinking about costumes!
