Eurovision 2014: Confirmed Countries

[A-lister]

When we talk about the ratings BNT last two years were really satisfied by their figures which were constantly growing despite the results. Let's not forget that they do had the initial plan to go to Copenhagen as well. As for the budget - i'm quite sure. The Bulgarian public broadcaster budget is 32 millions euro, as somewhere I read that the NERIT will have over 300 million euro to spend (the greek people could say better). But even if I'm not fully correct with the numbers, I'm totally sure that the difference is very significant.

Still though, Bulgaria is far from having those numbers Greece has I reckon (which is one of the countries with the highest annual audience numbers for ESC out of all ESC countries).

It's crazy if that's really true, it sorta shows that Greece is still spending money (EU money) on stuff that isn't that important... this whole over-spending and strange priorities brought them to their current situation in the first place... oh well that's another discussion, but it's crazy to see that they would spend so much money on TV with their current situation.

 

[NeonProject]

If I'm not mistaken, record labels and a lot of sponsorship funds the majority of the Greek participation. Greece benefits from a lot of successful businesses, especially in record labels, which other countries do no have.
Despite having a major issue with money, Music and recording is still a surprisingly big business in Greece, which explains why Eurovision is important, it's basically advertising for one of Greece's most successful investments.

It's not really fair to point out Greece is participating and then saying countries like Serbia are clearly using it as an excuse. It could still be the case, but contexts are different in every country and we should be a bit more enlightened on this before making such throwaway statements.

 

[DanielLuis]

Oh please, stop it with the excuse of the juries. It's old and I'm not buying it. Bulgaria and Croatia are not countries with especially great televoting results, with the sole exception of Bulgaria 2007. Serbia does very well when they send epic Balkan ballads, since they hardly have found anything else brilliant to compete with.

If Serbia withdraws for bad results, then they should join the sore grapes team with Turkey, because according to that around 80% of the countries should withdraw then. But I don't think that's the reason cause that wouldn't be a reason this time.
Croatia has nothing to complain to the juries, that's for sure......

So please, stop it with the juries. I'm fed up with that. I'm the first one to point out they have a quite boring and predictable taste sometimes, but they are the only way we found so far to avoid that diaspora, friendly and neighbor voting.
I'd rather have this than Turkey, Russia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Armenia and a Nordic country every year in the top no matter the song they send, while many countries are left behind just because they don't have friends voting sick for them.

It's ridiculous, but what can one do. No point in arguing against biased opinions.
It's clear the reason for the Balkans withdrawal is financial, and I'm pretty sure we'll see them back either next year or in the next few ones.

 

[DanielLuis]

If I'm not mistaken, record labels and a lot of sponsorship funds the majority of the Greek participation. Greece benefits from a lot of successful businesses, especially in record labels, which other countries do no have.
Despite having a major issue with money, Music and recording is still a surprisingly big business in Greece, which explains why Eurovision is important, it's basically advertising for one of Greece's most successful investments.

It's not really fair to point out Greece is participating and then saying countries like Serbia are clearly using it as an excuse. It could still be the case, but contexts are different in every country and we should be a bit more enlightened on this before making such throwaway statements.

Exactly! How cat some people not understand this? The context's are different so of course you can't say the because Greece is participating all other countries have to! Plus as BGN has said, NERIT will have a budget much bigger than BNT for example. JUst because a country is in a worst financial situation than another, it doesn't mean the same happens with their respective broadcasters.

 

[A-lister]

It's ridiculous, but what can one do. No point in arguing against biased opinions.
It's clear the reason for the Balkans withdrawal is financial, and I'm pretty sure we'll see them back either next year or in the next few ones.

Clear? Biased? I love how everyone here apparently works in those broadcasters... *yawn*

None of us know anything for certain, so what we can do is either trust these excuses or don't.

 

[escYOUnited]

36 countries? Ouch!!! (That hurts!!) | ESCunited.com

 

[A-lister]

If I'm not mistaken, record labels and a lot of sponsorship funds the majority of the Greek participation. Greece benefits from a lot of successful businesses, especially in record labels, which other countries do no have.
Despite having a major issue with money, Music and recording is still a surprisingly big business in Greece, which explains why Eurovision is important, it's basically advertising for one of Greece's most successful investments.

It's not really fair to point out Greece is participating and then saying countries like Serbia are clearly using it as an excuse. It could still be the case, but contexts are different in every country and we should be a bit more enlightened on this before making such throwaway statements.

So you honestly think that the reason Greece is successful in ESC and that it got lots of viewers unlike in let's say Bulgaria doesn't matter at all? Well, then I guess I'll be the only one in this thread stating it does.

It's also about willingness, BNT could easily phone one of the major labels and try to make some deal but they don't want to, the same for RTS. These broadcasters simply got too much pride in them (or maybe, just maybe, their arguments for leaving aren't all that true to begin with).

 

[BGN]

None of us know anything for certain, so what we can do is either trust these excuses or don't.

In our case BNT are quite transparent in their decision as stated before, they even made a whole show to explain with more details what exactly happened and why it happened and what will happen in the future. There were also regular updates by them and so on. I truly believe that the reasons which were stated by all 'not taking part' broadcasters are the real ones. Yes, there are certainly some problems with rules and the transparency of the jury vote - how exactly it works, but neither the rules, nor the results or something else out of the budget restrictions is the reason. In Bulgaria is definately clear case, but the same is also with Serbia. If I remember it right, there were even news that RTS employees did not receive their salaries on time, there were cataclysms in their board as far as I remember their former executive died some months before. Cyprus is also clear case and only Croatia stays questionable what kind of "organisational" problems do they have.

 

[A-lister]

In our case BNT are quite transparent in their decision as stated before, they even made a whole show to explain with more details what exactly happened and why it happened and what will happen in the future. There were also regular updates by them and so on. I truly believe that the reasons which were stated by all 'not taking part' broadcasters are the real ones. Yes, there are certainly some problems with rules and the transparency of the jury vote - how exactly it works, but neither the rules, nor the results or something else out of the budget restrictions is the reason. In Bulgaria is definately clear case, but the same is also with Serbia. If I remember it right, there were even news that RTS employees did not receive their salaries on time, there were cataclysms in their board as far as I remember their former executive died some months before. Cyprus is also clear case and only Croatia stays questionable what kind of "organisational" problems do they have.

Well, I'm not stating there isn't any money problem, don't get me wrong.

I do think however it's the easiest way to explain ones withdrawal from this without looking like a "bad guy". I mean TVP did it for two years, and pretty much all Poles said those were just bullsh*t excuses and that the real reasons were lack of interest and unsuccessful attempts.

I applaud BNT for sticking to ESC for so long, but a broadcaster wouldn't just throw money into something if they are totally overlooked. Again, money may be a main concern, but I'm still guessing had the outcome for the previous Bulgarian entries been different for the past years, BNT would try to motivate themselves more to find solutions. Maybe they would try to team up with another channel or record label such as Greek broadcaster is doing? One can just guess, there's probably solutions if one is really committed, but I doubt lots of unfair flops makes one fully committed to seek such solutions.

 

[BGN]

But there is something else which was said by our HoD. The actual decision for the budget cuts was just some weeks before the past deadline which was November 22nd. So basically they had initial plan how everything will go and this plan costs certain value of money. Then suddenly these money are no longer available because of the cuts and there isn't real choice but to withdraw. After that I think is really difficult to find solution as such things require time and initial preparations to be done. On the other hand our music market is not very well developed to say the least and there are no powerful labels to offer their help in the case. Even Payner have financial problems lately. Seeking for sponsors is another option, but the big ones definately won't accept to help urgently and under pressure. So maybe there are objective reasons. We see that even a broadcaster (RTVSLO) which knew that they should look for sponsors from the very begining, now have certain problems doing that. But I can see your point and I don't deny it. Maybe better results would have helped a bit, however if we take into consideration that the results were never the case for Bulgaria and that one very successful country like Serbia also won't take part - again the financial problems come as the most legit reason.

 

[A-lister]

^
I'm actually not convinced it's truly legit (as in it being the sole reason), though I acknowledge that it plays a part in the decision-making process for sure. But this discussion could go back and forth forever it seems, in the end we will never know for certain. You know, when a broadcaster decides on its budget it has to balance costs and profits, if the country is struggling in this particular contest and if the viewing numbers aren't high enough, then obviously if there will be budget cuts then the first things to go will be the costly things that aren't giving much back in return. So in a sense, the economical arguments are probably legit, but there will always be reasons behind any decision made (decisions aren't just made blindly without taking aspects into consideration). If a broadcaster see that it gains something from entering, they may try to take extra steps, even in an economical harsh situation, to make it work like for instance reaching out to other sponsors or other broadcasters or labels (like Greece). However, if they don't see the benefits, and if money is lacking, it's logical that they'd sack something that is costly but not giving them back much in return because in the end of the day it's all business.

 

[Sean]

I have a feeling Eurovision 2015 will be a record breaker

 

[GRE]

I have a feeling Eurovision 2015 will be a record breaker

I hope for 46 countries.

 

[Scooby]

Serbian major problem is lack of interest in the contest, and thats it. Nobody (except fans) don't really care for this
It's just not realistic that RTS have enough money for Dakar rally and Tour de France, and ESC is problem....

 

[Trece]

and in what country in the world except Sweden non-fans really do care about Eurovision?

 

[DanielLuis]

I have a feeling Eurovision 2015 will be a record breaker

Why? Some people are saying that 2015 will have many countries returning, et cetera, because it's the 60th birthday? That doesn't make any sense. 2005 was the 50th anniversary, and it didn't mean Italy or Luxembourg returning for instance.
Anyway, I'm hoping we'll get most of the withdrawing countries from 2014 back, if not all. However I doubt we'll see Luxembourg, Monaco, Andorra, and other long term withdrawing countries returning. The only one I could see back is Luxembourg, but hardly.

 

[Sean]

Why? Some people are saying that 2015 will have many countries returning, et cetera, because it's the 60th birthday? That doesn't make any sense. 2005 was the 50th anniversary, and it didn't mean Italy or Luxembourg returning for instance.
Anyway, I'm hoping we'll get most of the withdrawing countries from 2014 back, if not all. However I doubt we'll see Luxembourg, Monaco, Andorra, and other long term withdrawing countries returning. The only one I could see back is Luxembourg, but hardly.

I imagine Bulgaria, Boznhertz, Croatia, Cyprus will be back for starters. Serbia will be a maybe. For some reason I have a feeling the EBU may negotiate Andorra and maybe Slovakia back and who knows? Maybe Kazakhstan will finally be let in.

I imagine the EBU will want to get everybody in for the 60th edition though

 

[FilipFromSweden]

Eurovision is dying, or just going through a hard phase. I think some of the TV networks dislike how some things are handeld by the EBU and some are afraid to tell it like it is.

And I think it is a retarded idea having a semi-final with only 15 participants and 10 tickets to the final. It's almost like you are bullying the ones that won't qualify

I think each semi-final should only have 8 tickets to the final. That will be 22 countries in the final, sure less than most of the finals but why not? It will just be less countries that will bunch up in the right side of the scoreboard, crying for points. I'm looking at you, Finland and Spain.

 

[FilipFromSweden]

Serbian major problem is lack of interest in the contest, and thats it. Nobody (except fans) don't really care for this
It's just not realistic that RTS have enough money for Dakar rally and Tour de France, and ESC is problem....

But you won 2007 and hosted 2008. Why are you doing this to us?

 

[BGN]

Eurovision certainly is not dying! If we compare the contest in the last 10 years with what have been in the past, Eurovision is celebrating the best times in terms of popularity and scale. It happens countries to go away and then return, it happened in the past, it will continue to happen in the future as well. Eurovision now is victim of it's own success as everything which is slightly less than what have been in the previous years come as huge disappointment and people sometimes tend to overreact with their negative predictions about the future. Good things happen only if we stay positive - I'm sure that Eurovision 2014 will be great like every year and next year hopefully the broadcasters with some problems will be again where they belong
What EBU should do now is to encourage a bit the music diversity in Eurovision and everything will be fine.