Eurovision song contest 2018

[Arthurgray50@blu]

I think the Eurovision Song Contest is totally politically motive and total bollocks.

I simply cannot understand why the BBC waste so much of OUR money. But there again each time we enter, we might as well bet on where will finish from BOTTOM

[Stephen]

That's why they have introduced changes to the voting in recent years.

[tweetiepooh]

Israel would have to be counted "in Europe" as they would stand no chance in a middle eastern competition. Quite what Australia has to do with it other than their flag still having the Union Flag in it.

[Stephen]

The reason for Australia now being part of Eurovision. They were first included in 2015 as part of the 50th anniversary event.

This was originally meant to just be a one-off event but later on in 2015 it was confirmed by SVT that Australia would be entering again the following year.

The reasoning is basically down to TV rights. Former Bake Off host Mel Giedroyc described how it came about on BBC’s Eurovision: You Decide: "The simple fact is, Australia’s host TV broadcaster SBS is part of the European Broadcasting Union, otherwise known as the EBU.

"And this is a qualification requirement for entering the Eurovision Song Contest.

SBS have been broadcasting Eurovision in Austrailia for over 30 years.

Also same reason that Is real and some other non EU countries take part.

Yes Israel is also not in Europe.

Israel has been competing regularly in the competition since 1973.

This is allowed because the Israel Broadcasting Authority is a member of the Eurovision governing body

I think the problem is the mindset that attempts to categorise any entrant as a “non-EU” country. The European Broadcasting Union is nothing to do with the EU and never has been. The membership of the EBU is made up of public service broadcasters, not nation states. The broadcaster may or may not be state owned and there may be more than one member in any given country.

The EBU’s name is a historical artefact. The organisation was founded in Europe and Europe is where its centre of gravity still is, but it has long since spread to have a reach into every populated continent on earth.

The Eurovision Song Contest is its flagship event and this has retained a European bias for practical reasons. It’s a live, evening event (ok, now actually a series of events) whose audience and participants mostly come from within a couple of time zones of Central Europe. There would be serious difficulties in transplanting it too far from there. Indeed, should Australia ever win, they’re not allowed to host the next year. They have to choose a European country to do it for them. Some might say that’s the UK’s best hope of ever hosting it again ...