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Will the bidding start when a country can’t host Eurovision? Written by on February 2, 2011

The middle of January saw some great news for Armenia, as the EBU decided to award the rights to host the 2011 Junior Eurovision Song Contest to Armenia. Given that they are the current winners of the contest, most ‘Adult’ Eurovision fans may have expected JESC to be heading to Yerevan as a matter of course.

The long standing tradition of having the winner Eurovision host the next contest has never caught on with JESC. The status of the contest and the smaller “world stage” that it presents means that while JESC is still a big production, many of the benefits that come with hosting a Song Contest are diluted in the junior version. I always get the feeling that it’s a bit more… parochial than the international appeal that the adult version has.

But there is still a huge demand from the smaller core JESC countries, to keep the contest running, and to have the gift of hosting it. It’s just that the financial, economic and political benefits mean that staging JESC needs a bit more consideration. Because of that, the idea that the winners host the following year has never become the tradition. Since ITV in the UK pulled out of hosting the 2004 Contest, leaving it in a bit of a mess, the process has turned into something similar to the World Cup or the Olympics, with interested parties bidding to hold the contest.

Could we see the same at the adult Eurovision Song Contest?

1980 was the last year when the Contest wasn’t hosted by the victor. Israel, having won 1978 and hosting the 1979 Contest managed back to back victories, but declined to host Eurovision for a second year. Both second and third placing countries (Spain and the United Kingdom) passed on the option when asked, and the 80’s opened up in The Hague.

Edinburgh's Usher Hall, standing in for the Casino Royale in Monaco

Edinburgh's Usher Hall, standing in for the Casino Royale in Monaco

Switching host countries has happened a number of times in the history of the Contest, and at most junctures the BBC have stepped in to bring Eurovision to the United Kingdom – it would be fair to say that they became the “Super Substitute” of the EBU – but with the explosion of countries in Eastern Europe, Eurovision became more than a test of the EBU network – it became a symbol of hope, a stamp of authenticity for a country. To be in Eurovision was to be a country. And to host it was the ultimate accolade of respect for a country,

Paul Jordan has already written about the effects of Eurovision on Estonia, and that’s a good place to start with why hosting the Contest is so important to many. It’s for that reason, more than momentum, that I think we won’t have a bidding process to host in the first stage. There is too much pride at stake, and while the performers get the Trophy, the countries as a whole need to have a reward.

Is that still true, some 22 years after the catalyst of the  Berlin Wall falling, that the Contest is needed to legitimise a country? Certainly its true for many that Eurovision would give them the stamp on the world’s cultural stage, and that means pubic money can be made available, but this effect and need is going to fade over the next few years – and it doesn’t apply to more established countries. I don’t see the French Government getting involved if the Contest heads to Madrid.

Eurovision was set up not just to foster technology, but also to bring together the countries of Europe – something it still continues to do, offering each one a unique platform in the world.

But there’s going to come a time in the near future when a winning country has neither the commercial budget, or the political support, to host the Contest, and it’s going to have to be offered around again. Last year the joke was that Germany was going to be the host in 2011, because Greece would win.

My Lovely Horse. But RTE were never in that much danger.

"My Lovely Horse". But RTE were never in that much danger.

While RTE was never in real danger of going bankrupt with the three in a row for Ireland, it did give rise to the popular myth of a country putting in a song that wouldn’t win. Unless someone can come of with evidence, I don’t believe any country would consciously decide to do so (yes, even the United Kingdom), but I do think that once we get a winner from a smaller country that doesn’t feel the need to be validated on the world stage, we’re going to be going to a biding process to host the Contest that year.

The cost of the Contest has rise in the last few years, and even when you add in the participation fees, commercial sponsorship, ticket sales and potentially a top up from the EBU, there’s still going to be a shortfall that a broadcaster or host country needs to make up. Which may be fine for a country like Azerbaijan, but could cause problems in the economy of a country like Macedonia. The growth of the Contest also adds a huge burden on the infrastructure required to host. Dusseldorf is already straining at the seams for hotel rooms and beds for the delegations, media, fans, and everyone else. That cost might not be in the official budget, but it’s there.

A country deciding to skip the right to host might happen sooner than you think – if Lena does a historic double, can you see Germany hosting again? It’s unlikely to go to Dusseldorf for 2012, and the other bids all had various issues that made them unwieldy. Germany could easily say “pass” and start the merry go round.

Bidding is unlikely to become the norm, though. Much as “12, 10, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1” as the scoring system is almost written in stone, so is the idea of the winner hosts the following year. The Eurovision Song Contest has been through many changes and challenges, and having an alternative host in the near future will be a strength, not a weakness.

So come on Slovakia, there’s still time to get Eurovision and the Olympics in Stratford for 2012!

About The Author: Ewan Spence

British Academy (BAFTA) nominated broadcaster and writer Ewan Spence is the voice behind The Unofficial Eurovision Song Contest Podcast and one of the driving forces behind ESC Insight. Having had an online presence since 1994, he is a noted commentator around the intersection of the media, internet, technology, mobility and how it affects us all. Based in Edinburgh, Scotland, his work has appeared on the BBC, The Stage, STV, and The Times. You can follow Ewan on Twitter (@ewan) and Facebook (facebook.com/ewanspence).

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