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Post by whollygoats on Apr 5, 2020 16:19:38 GMT
Please tell me that ESC is not funded with public monies. If not, who does fund it such that it has become this 'moneypit'?
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Post by Mari on Apr 5, 2020 18:40:55 GMT
It was spaceflower's argument which I said was bogus. Has anyone ever heard anything else from Conchita, something other than that esc song? What about that weird Spanish chicken song singer? Or one of the Dutch high scoring artists? Perhaps some die hard enthusiasts but otherwise I doubt it. The Dutch winner from last year isn't even that well-known in the Netherlands.
WG, yes public funds. The argument in the past was that it would generate money through tourism and showing off the country and back in the beginning it paid off, but nowadays the spectacle has to be bigger and more impressive than any previous year, costing so much money that it's not offsetting the costs. Also, if you really want people to get to know your country and generate tourism there are better ways nowadays that don't cost a shitload of money.
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Post by whollygoats on Apr 5, 2020 20:23:24 GMT
NO! Get OUT!
They got the governments of all the participating nations to cover the costs involved? Really?
That boggles. I mean, really....If this is for the 'music industry', then the associated recording industry and private media companies are not short on cash. That's who I thought was underwriting what I considered to be a huge waste of money on frivolous bullshit.
FFS, how is hearing some pop tune going to generate tourism? I think that is ridiculous to the extreme; pure, unadulterated poppycock.
I can't even....
That's preposterous. I'd be actively politicking to get my nation removed from any participation in such trite nonsense.
I fully agree with Mari's critique.
I trust Brexit will have at least one benefit when it removes the UK from the ESC. Hurrah!
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Post by JoeP on Apr 5, 2020 20:37:09 GMT
Your outrage is showing, WG. The ESC has no connection with the EU. It is a club of broadcasters.
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Post by tangent on Apr 5, 2020 22:27:45 GMT
Telephone voting brings in some revenue but I doubt it amounts to very much.
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Post by whollygoats on Apr 5, 2020 23:18:24 GMT
Your outrage is showing, WG. The ESC has no connection with the EU. It is a club of broadcasters. Please, please, assure me that not just the EU, but no nation-state in Europe, or anywhere else, is paying tax revenues in to support the ESC. Yes, my outrage is showing. My full expectation that it would be some group of media types....broadcasters makes sense. "People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices."
~ Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations
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Post by Mari on Apr 6, 2020 10:20:09 GMT
It's mostly the organising country that coughs up the dough. That's why the sane portion of Dutch people were disappointed when we won last year, because the winning country organises the one next year. The event was passed around like a hot potato by the cities that had places qualified to host the event.
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Post by tangent on Apr 6, 2020 12:16:50 GMT
In comparison, each episode of Doctor Who costs about 700.000 €. Apart from the host country, TV companies should therefore make a handsome profit from having a full evenings programme laid on for them. (50 non-host countries paying a registration fee of 100.000 euros and saving the cost of three hours of (highly popular) entertainment, whereas alternative programmes might easily cost them 1 to 2 million euros each.) Overall, therefore, the collection of participating countries come out with a profit of about 45 million euros, less the cost of hosting it the following year. It's not surprising, therefore, that the EBU wants to continue the show. The trick is to participate while making sure you don't win. Or you could take out insurance against winning and that way the state doesn't have to contribute a dime.
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Post by Kye on Apr 6, 2020 12:55:17 GMT
The trick is to participate while making sure you don't win. That explains a lot about the quality of the songs.
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Post by tangent on Apr 6, 2020 15:51:12 GMT
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Post by spaceflower on May 10, 2020 13:16:09 GMT
I've now seen all songs. Will they compete in Rotterdam next year? Or will it be new songs and new artists?
Some are funny like this one from Russia, reminds me of "Barbie Girl" with Aqua:
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Post by spaceflower on May 10, 2020 13:25:22 GMT
The contriution from Ukraine is really ukraine culture, old and frightening with a special song style. The singer looks terrifying.
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Post by spaceflower on May 10, 2020 13:30:29 GMT
I usually like the contributions from Australia (I still remember Sound of silence). This one is not as good but I would like it but what is this clown thing?
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Post by spaceflower on May 10, 2020 13:37:34 GMT
And the contribution from UK, My last breath with a James Newman (and the Iceman).
I like it though the video is a bit weird.
Where is this filmed, does not look like UK to me, more like my homeland.
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Post by spaceflower on May 16, 2020 14:32:46 GMT
We had a "pretend ESC-contest" in Swedish television last Thursday. 25 countries to vote for (by an app). The winner was Island, Daði og Gagnamagnið – Think about things:
I like it, especially that the "baby" Daði sings about is a real baby, his little daughter.
Baby, I can't wait to know Believe me, I'll always be there, so
Though I know I love you I find it hard to see how you feel about me 'Cause I don't understand you Oh, you are yet to learn how to speak When we first met I will never forget 'Cause even though I didn't know you yet We were bound together, then and forever And I could never let you go
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Post by spaceflower on May 16, 2020 18:42:49 GMT
Though there are other songs I prefer to Iceland's. Like UK's. And Switzerland's, Répondez-moi:
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Post by spaceflower on May 16, 2020 18:54:02 GMT
And another French ballad but they played it safe, so the text is both in French and English, Mon Alliée (The Best In Me):
(And the music is written by the Swedes Peter Boström, Thomas G:son, John Lundvik)
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Post by spaceflower on May 16, 2020 18:59:13 GMT
And now on TV, Europe shine a light from Rotterdam!
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