No Big 5?

[penguinperson]

For a country that has done incredibly well since its return that is very low viewing figure? It wouldn't surprise me if they withdrew again because if the low viewing. I remember reading somewhere that the Italian broadcaster only returned to see if it could get one more win and then withdraw again.

We need to put every rating in to more context in what looks low compared to Europe. ESC has no long term established viewership for one in Italy. The show is also broadcast on RAI 2 not the main channel (same with France but they have done much better before on a smaller channel). ESC for Italy for the last two years has rated above the timeslot average in audience and share for RAI2. Marco will have caused an increase and it is up to RAI how they manage what will likely be a decline but it is up to them to try and keep interest. So though the number looks low for the Big 5 it is a good show for RAI 2.

Subnote - RAI may have left ESC they never left the EBU so they did fund the contest and other ventures even if it wasn't on screen.

 

[Mickey]

I'm not at all surprised that Italy's massively jury-friendly songs do well with the juries.

If they send dubstep in 2014 and still get high jury marks, then I'll start to think about conspiracy theories.

 

[hunty73]

I agree the big 5 rule can really upset some countries.However it really does need to be remembered that ESC isn't some charity event that just happens.Its very very expensive as is the EBU behind it.
It really is crucial to ESC that the big 5 stay in for financial reasons.The truth is if the UK,or France etc started to go into the semis and failed to qualify it is only a matter of time before they pull out.
The BBC and all the other big 5 countries pay the money because the final is good value for them.If they fail to qualify then there is no way they could justify paying millions into ESC.
So what would happen then is they would simply pay the same as everyone else or withdraw,but that would push the costs up by a huge amount and the likes of San Marino and many others wouldn't enter due to cost.

The big 5 isn't ideal I agree,but without it ESC would only be open to rich,big countries as the smaller ones couldn't afford the massive increase in fees.

You have to remember the UK,France,Italy Spain are all at risk of pulling out of ESC and forcing them into semis when they pay millions would be a disaster for the competition.

You also have to remember many countries love the semis as for the countries that qualify it gives them double the audience and TV time.
The big 5 situation isn't ideal at all,but for now ,for ESCs sake and the smaller countries its crucial it remains.

 

[hunty73]

With televoting only, Italy woud have entered the top10 once (this year). Juries helped them a lot since their comeback.

The reason Italy have done well since they came back is because each year they have had a very contemporary song and artist.Each one has dripped pure class.They also have used San Remo to select so far,the highest quality festival in Europe at the moment.
Id argue they have done worse than they deserved mainly due to them missing tricks with staging.Both Nina and Mengoni should of had instruments on stage and better staging.

Mengoni will of helped draw the Italian audience so id expect them to follow this year with a big artist,im hoping Annalisa or Malika Ayane.

 

[tuorem]

The reason Italy have done well since they came back is because each year they have had a very contemporary song and artist.Each one has dripped pure class.They also have used San Remo to select so far,the highest quality festival in Europe at the moment.
Id argue they have done worse than they deserved mainly due to them missing tricks with staging.Both Nina and Mengoni should of had instruments on stage and better staging.

Mengoni will of helped draw the Italian audience so id expect them to follow this year with a big artist,im hoping Annalisa or Malika Ayane.

Maybe. Maybe not. Tastes differ... and impressions too. To me, except for Nina, none of their entries sounded quite contemporary, ironically I thought they were a little bit too old-fashioned and standard for my taste. When I first heard "Love Madness" and "L'essenziale", I was like : "come on, Italy, you can do much better than that".

Selecting their Eurovision entries from San Remo (no matter how much quality it represents as to European music festivals) doesn't mean that the whole Europe will automatically love the song, or that it deserves to get a high placing only because of that.

I'm not bashing Italy in any way (by the way, I loved "L'amore è femmina") but achieving a 2nd place in 2011 thanks to the juries the year the country comes back (the only year so far juries disagreed with the televoting) seems more than coincidental to me. Not that they had to be ranked second to last, but still... We've seen that they could enter the top 10 since then, whereas some countries of the Big 5 weren't less worth a similar placing, yet they ended up being underrated.

I'm off-topic again, sorry about that. Anyway, the Big 5 will always be there.

 

[Impressive]

@tourem

I am sorry, mister but you are talking like all of your favourite songs until today took high places and all of songs that you dislike took low places. Even though that fact, Italy is the one sends awful songs but however is that European fans hate this song. And secretly Italy takes top 10, three times in a row. Because only problem of yours is with Italy.

 

[tuorem]

@tourem

I am sorry, mister but you are talking like all of your favourite songs until today took high places and all of songs that you dislike took low places. Even though that fact, Italy is the one sends awful songs but however is that European fans hate this song. And secretly Italy takes top 10, three times in a row. Because only problem of yours is with Italy.

I don't understand your first sentence. My favourite entries usually don't do well in the contest, but that's not the point.

And it's not because I disliked two out of the three Italian entries that they don't deserve their actual high placings. I just find it strange that Italy seems to be the only country of the big5 to do so well, while the other countries seem to be underrated... because let's face it : they happen to send good songs too. On the basis of that fact, it's easy to think that Italy has drawn more attention because of their comeback.

Anyway, that's the third time I write the same thing and it's tiring to be off-topic, originally I reacted to a post saying why Italy would withdraw with such past high placings. Nothing more.

 

[Matt]

Article is up on escunited...thank you kindly for all your input

The Big 5 rule – Justified or nonsense? | escunited.com

 

[FilipFromSweden]

esc needs the money

 

[greece]

Ok my opinion:

Big five the most years came under 10th place...
So if they paricipate as a normal country they will take take and more points because of their appearance in semi.So why not only the host pass and the others compete in semi?

 

[Jim]

I agree with the current system, BIG 5 (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom) + Winner to the final.

 

[bashers]

It's financial. Plain and simple. In some ways, I'd love for the BIG 5 to compete in the Semi's. However, the fact is, smaller, poorer countries just would not be able to afford it if the money increased. It is a shame that everyone doesn't have equal rights BUT if everyone paid the same, the ESC just wouldn't survive.

 

[FilipFromSweden]

Eurovision needs it's money for da big stage and all of that, can we end this discussion now?