The UK could lose its guaranteed place in the Eurovision Song Contest final following criticism that the event is becoming increasingly biased against western European countries.

 

Eurovision organisers have told MediaGuardian.co.uk that the issue of the UK's guaranteed place in the final will be one of a number to be discussed at a meeting of the European Broadcasting Union in Athens in two weeks' time.

 

A senior BBC insider said that it has an "open mind" about the controversial proposal, which, if implemented, could see the UK's Eurovision entry have to qualify and potentially fail to make the final for the first time in the event's history.

 

Russia's Dima Bilan won Saturday's contest in Belgrade, with the Ukraine coming second.

 

The UK, Germany, France and Spain - the "big four" Eurovision countries who get an automatic place in the final because they contribute the most funding - all came in the bottom 10.

 

The UK's entry, The X Factor finalist Andy Abraham's Even If, came joint last.

 

A growing feeling that the UK may never win Eurovision again has even led BBC commentator Sir Terry Wogan to say he may quit, claiming political bloc voting had got out of control.

 

BBC1's ratings for this year's event were also down, with 7.1 million viewers on Saturday, compared with last year's 8.7 million.

 

The head of the Eurovision Song Contest, Svante Stockselius, told MediaGuardian.co.uk that potential changes would be discussed when the 42 participating countries meet next month.

 

"Every year, we evaluate and debrief each contest. We will discuss these things there," Stockselius said.

 

"We did a couple of big changes to this year's event, with the introduction of two semi-finals.

 

"We do not exclude that we will look into different changes for next year."

 

When asked if the poor performance of the "big four" countries could be down to other countries purposely voting against them, he replied: "It could be."

 

Stockselius added: "I don't think it is jealousy, but it might be that people think: 'Why should we vote for them when they are automatically in the final? Lets vote for someone else'. It could be something like that."

 

Making the "big four" compete in the Eurovision semi-finals could lead to them cutting their funding, but Stockselius said the scale of sponsorship the contest now attracts meant it could afford to carry on without this money.

 

"Of course we would have to look into funding, but we have such big sponsorship now it could manage," he said. "It would be a point of discussion."

 

The BBC's controller of entertainment commissioning, Elaine Bedell, told MediaGuardian.co.uk that the corporation was keen to talk to the EBU about potential changes.

 

"We are going to sit down with the EBU pretty soon to see what the best way forward is," she said.

 

However, taking part in the semi-final could lead to a position where the UK misses out on a place in the final.

 

This is a scenario the BBC would be keen to avoid when, due to its contract, it has to screen the three-hour final in peaktime on BBC1.

 

However, Stockselius said: "That is a question 38 other broadcasters have to face."

 

BBC sources said the corporation had an "open mind" about the UK potentially losing its automatic place in the final.

 

"We would have to think clearly about it, although it would be a bit odd giving over primetime without the UK in the final," one insider said.

 

Stockselius added that taking part in the semi-finals might be a decision the "big four" broadcasters should take for themselves in order to bring greater interest to the contest.

 

"Maybe it should be something for the broadcasters to consider," he added. "They would most probably get a better rating in the semi-final."

 

BBC insiders said that as well as potential changes to the contest's structure, questions also had to be asked about what acts the UK put forward in future.

 

"The viewing figures [for this year's contest] were fantastic, but we need to think about the sorts of musical acts we put forward in the future and how we want to approach it," a BBC insider said.

 

Stockselius said he did not agree with the argument that the "big four" would never win again, adding it was "fully natural and understandable" for countries to be disappointed when they did badly.

 

However, he added that it was "more the matter of the song and performance" and praised the Russian entry - which was produced by top US artist Timbaland – as a "worthy winner".

 

I can see this happening tbh, and in a way I hope it does, because the BBC will absolutely HAVE to send a decent song. And we may even get great songs from France like in 2001 and 2002. If we pull out our current huge funds that we give to the EBU for the contest, that'll also free up some money for the BBC to but in a bit more effort. Or make another series of 'Doctor Who'. :manson:

Good, hopefully this will happen. Maybe then we will send something decent.

Or make another series of 'Doctor Who'. :manson:

 

The UK's funding which is less than £200,000 would only make 10minuets of a doctor who episode! :drama:

Sounds like great news indeed. :cheer:

Would be much better to qualify through the semi-final.

 

 

it should have been done a lot before or just not having it at all :cheer:

Well, we've clearly grown complacent given the utter amateur-hour tripe we send year in year out, only Ireland with that Turkey was actually more of a p!ss-take... The ending of automatic qualification may actually force us to come up with something decent, provide more of a challenge....

 

Is that right Martyn..? We only actually contribute £200 K to the event..?? Christ, they make it sound like it's MILLIONS or summat that we contribute to ESC..... TBH, I can see MTV Europe quite easily stepping into the Beeb's shoes and making up the shortfall should the BBC stop funding it altogether...

Well, we've clearly grown complacent given the utter amateur-hour tripe we send year in year out, only Ireland with that Turkey was actually more of a p!ss-take... The ending of automatic qualification may actually force us to come up with something decent, provide more of a challenge....

 

Is that right Martyn..? We only actually contribute £200 K to the event..?? Christ, they make it sound like it's MILLIONS or summat that we contribute to ESC..... TBH, I can see MTV Europe quite easily stepping into the Beeb's shoes and making up the shortfall should the BBC stop funding it altogether...

£173,000 the BBC pay in direct funding. :|

 

There's no way we'll ever pull out, because even if the BBC do ITV, Sky, C4, UKTV or someone will pick it up for what is effectively a pittance considering you get around 9 hours of programming!

As I said already, I think this is the first step towards finding the new "Big 4" among Russia and Ukraine, and making them sponsors of the contest, which is eventually going to be an Eastern one.

£173,000 the BBC pay in direct funding. :|

 

There's no way we'll ever pull out, because even if the BBC do ITV, Sky, C4, UKTV or someone will pick it up for what is effectively a pittance considering you get around 9 hours of programming!

 

£173 K in this day and age is an absolute pittance in terms of broadcasting.... I cant believe people are whining about it so much like it's a big deal.... It's peanuts considering BBC's overall budget runs into BILLIONS... 173K should NOT be sufficient to buy us an automatic final place, that's just ludicrous....

France's song was the best they've sent since 'Poupee De Cire Poupee Du Son' and it made no difference. What the big 4 need to send is something Americanized like the Russian entry which was produced by Timbaland. f*** tradition, that's what the public wants.

What the big 4 need to send is something Americanized like the Russian entry which was produced by Timbaland. f*** tradition, that's what the public wants.

 

That's pretty much why Russia won tbh.. It was slick, professional, and with an established act who's sold millions of records in Continental Europe.... Next to that, we send....Andy Abraham.... :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

We really should consider giving tATu UK citizenship I reckon..... :lol:

 

That's pretty much why Russia won tbh.. It was slick, professional, and with an established act who's sold millions of records in Continental Europe.... Next to that, we send....Andy Abraham.... :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

We really should consider giving tATu UK citizenship I reckon..... :lol:

You can send anyone from anywhere in the world, so long as the song is written by people from the country in question.

What the big 4 need to send is something Americanized like the Russian entry which was produced by Timbaland.

 

France will NEVER do that. :wacko:

 

at least doing badly in the semi-final wont be too bad as we will know it wouldn't of got anywhere in the final anyway.....good idea i think

making the "Big 4" qualify and with the chance of the UK failing for the first time might make them try and send something decent

Edited May 28, 200817 yr by Andy99

I hope this happens - it'll mean we actually take the Contest seriously.

 

And £173K? That's about two weeks wages for Jonathan Ross!

I hope this happens - it'll mean we actually take the Contest seriously.

 

And £173K? That's about two weeks wages for Jonathan Ross!

 

Interestingly Terry Wogan gets an adhoc annual payment of £250,000 for covering the ESC.

 

Comparing that to the £173K we pay towards the event, well I know which of those two amounts is taking the p....

Wogan's knowledge of the contest is so limited now, especially the scoring. No way does he deserve £250k. :manson:

very true David, he sounds amateurish now...I thought Paddy and Caroline did a better job in the semis, and I would do a better job than them :P

Paddy and Caroline were alright... but Paddy's pretty annoying. When they were about to reveal the tenth envelope in the second semi - Portugal - he started harping on about Ken Bruce commentating for Radio 2! :manson: It was just like FFS SHUT UP YOU PRICK. :heehee: