:o I've just realised Austria used to be in the competition year after year, for the past two years they have not performed, have they pulled out of the competition altogether

They were in it last year, didn't get to the final so pulled out this year :rolleyes: same will happen with the Netherlands as they haven't qualified this year - don't expect to see them again either.

Thanks for the info, did not realised they performed last year.

Luckily Ireland got through or we probably would have gone the same way...

wiki says:

 

On 18 June 2005, Austrian newspaper Der Kurier reported that the Austrian broadcaster ORF will not be taking part in the 2006 contest. On 5 October 2005 the managing director of Georgia Television & Radio Broadcasting stated that Georgia would not enter the 2006 contest; on 6 October 2005 Ceská Televize announced that the Czech Republic would not participate; and on 9 December 2005 Hungarian broadcaster Magyar TV announced that Hungary would not participate for financial reasons.

 

Serbia and Montenegro withdrew from the contest due to a scandal in the selection process, which has caused tensions between the Serbian broadcaster, RTS, and the Montenegrin broadcaster, RTCG. Serbia and Montenegro did retain voting rights for the contest. (A more detailed account of the scandal is contained in the Evropesma article.)

 

Serbia and Montenegro's withdrawal left eleven empty spots in the final. In the delegations meeting on 20 March, it was decided that Croatia will fill the empty spot (as they finished 11th in 2005).

 

 

Serbia and Montenegro's withdrawal left eleven empty spots in the final. In the delegations meeting on 20 March, it was decided that Croatia will fill the empty spot (as they finished 11th in 2005).

 

What? :unsure:

remember wikipedia is the site that YOU can re-edit if the English is mangled :lol:

Serbia and Montenegro's withdrawal left eleven empty spots in the final. In the delegations meeting on 20 March, it was decided that Croatia will fill the empty spot (as they finished 11th in 2005).

 

What? :unsure:

When S&M withdrew, it meant that there were now only 13 songs already in the final, as they had automatically qualified from 2005.

 

As Croatia finished 11th in 2005 (the top ten in 2005 automatically qualified for ESC final 2006) then they got a free pass into the final.

 

Hope that clears things up. :wacko:

and on 9 December 2005 Hungarian broadcaster Magyar TV announced that Hungary would not participate for financial reasons.

Sour grapes if you ask me. They had a great song in 2005, but it flopped unfortunately. What if they had won? Would they still have withdrawn due to financial reasons?! :rolleyes:

When S&M withdrew, it meant that there were now only 13 songs already in the final, as they had automatically qualified from 2005.

 

As Croatia finished 11th in 2005 (the top ten in 2005 automatically qualified for ESC final 2006) then they got a free pass into the final.

 

Hope that clears things up. :wacko:

 

I knew about that, it was just worded badly I think :lol: