LOCAL NEWSPAPERS ABOUT SITUATION OF HRT AND EBU

Several weeks ago, Junior Eurovision Song Contest in Croatia was a top news. We all know the rules from EBU that every country thats competing in (j)ESC must show a competition live, but this year Croatian Television didnt show Eurovision live.

This year competition happened in Romania, and Croatia was represented by Mateo Đido. The Competion wasnt showed live on HRT, they showed it one day after, and EBU was angry about that. HTV chairman Maria Nemcic thinks that sutrday night isnt the bast night to show children program and she claims that there wasnt any official worning abou that.

She claims also that HRT has sent a proposition to EBU, in which they ask to compete but not to show live the show. If there isnt positive answer we will withdraw from competition. For the same reasones some other countries like France, England and Germany had withdraw.

We add that EBU has sent news to HRT that they must show JESC live, but we also must add that Germany hasnt been ever in this competition.

S. STOCKSELIUS WISH TO SEE CROATIA IN JESC NEXT YEAR

Eurovision-Croatia.com talked once again with Mr. Svante Stockselius. This time we wanted to know more about Junior Eurovision Song Contest and the problem that happened with Croatia. Here is what we managed to find out.

EC: Vecernji list published that HRT lost rights to broadcast this competition so we will not see Croatia in Rotterdam. Is it true?
SS: No, it is not. We do, of course, hope to see Croatia as a participant also this year. But it is too early to tell, the invitations and the new rules have ot yet been sent out.

EC: HRT reacted that they sent request to EBU not to broadcast JESC 2006.
SS: No, they informed us of the plan to broadacst on HRT Plus instead of HRT 1 or 2, only days before the contest. But they never requested not to broadcast at all.

EC: HRT said that they never got note that they MUST broadcast it. Yes?
SS: That is clearly stated in the rules, that was signed by HRT.

EC: Like said HRT, is really the reason why Scandinavian countries, France and UK withdrew that, because of the time when JESC must be broadcast (20:00CET)?
SS: Each member that does not participate probably has their own reasons, I guess. But take Sweden as an example. I doubt that they would continue to participate if the show was not broadcast live on 20:00 CET.

eurovision-croatia.com would like to thank Svante Stockselius.

G. Theofanous' concert for Europe

George Theofanous, composer of three past Cypriot entries (two of them with his ex-wife Evridiki in 1992 and 1994 and lately with ONE in 2002) will present a concert in Cyprus, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, presenting two famous Greek singers: Marinella (first representative of Greece in ESC – 1974) and Antonis Remos. The composer has set to music extracts and lyrics from the ancient, Byzantine, medieval, literary-folkloric, Cinquecento and contemporary Cypriot literature – testament that the Greek language has being used for centuries in the island. The concert will take place on Wednesday, May 9th (Europe Day), in D' Avila Moat, Nicosia.

Apart from his concert, G. Theofanous talked to Capuccino magazine about that year’s Cypriot and Greek entries: "I like very much the Cypriot song and I'm very enthusiast about singing it in French. I'm sure they will do well. I'm watching them being prepared and I believe they will succeed in their object". "I also hope Sarbel to do well in Helsinki. He can act well on stage and his song has a good melody".

At the moment he's not thinking of coming back in the Contest, as it is not in his priorities now, but if he knew the formula of winning both the impressions and the Contest he would send a song for sure !

Cyprus: Estonian site compares polls and proclaims Evridiki as winner

The bookmakers might claim that Switzerland is the top favourite for Helsinki but Cyprus wins the Eurofan votes. The Estonian website ET Eurostat has gathered all the votes from all the online polls which have online results during the voting period and compared them. The overall comparison shows that Cyprus leads the votes of the Eurofans clearly. The website compares and calculates the overall voting of 15 web polls. Here are the results:

01. Cyprus
02. Greece
03. Serbia
04. Belarus
05. Spain
06. Bulgaria
07. Switzerland
08. Denmark
09. Turkey
10. Slovenia

related link
watch the poll and its procedure here (external link)