The Eurovision Song Contest

Well I'm glad Serbia won. It was a well-composed ballad, musically quite competent, although I wasn't sure what all the Charlie's Angels shoulder-grabbing was about. But I'm not glad WHY it won. In past years, the bloc voting has been humorous. We used to enjoy guessing who would vote for who, diaspora votes being the biggest telltale. But now it's just tired.

The Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) is not an EU activity. (If it were it would have big EU flags all over it). It is run by the European Broadcasting Union and funded by countries as they see fit. Now, they don't know what you think until you tell them. We should all write to the EBU and say what we think of the way in which the contest is judged. Here are the contact details of:

Svante Stockselius, Head of Unit, EBU, Eurovision Song Contest
Tel.: + 41 (0)22 717 2414, Fax: + 41 (0)22 747 4414
mailto:stockselius@ebu.ch

and send a copy to

Bjørn Erichsen, Director Television Department,
Tel.: + 41 (0)22 717 2402, Fax: + 41 (0)22 747 4401
erichsen@ebu.ch

Jean Réveillon, Secretary General
Tel.: + 41 (0)22 717 2111, Fax: + 41 (0)22 717 2010
ebu@ebu.ch

Lastly, I would like to call for the United Kingdom to pull out the majority of governmental funding it sends to the ESC. It should be used to build starter homes for young couples or increase nurses' pay instead. People who are interesting in the continuation of the ESC should make donations and/or purchase their merchandising to help fund it. I will probably not be one of them.