JESC 2007: The complete schedule

The schedule for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest week in Rotterdam has been finalised.

On Monday 3rd December, the event kicks off with an opening party at the Hilton Hotel in Rotterdam.

The first rehearsals and excursions are scheduled for Tuesday 4th December. Find the complete schedule below.

Monday 3rd December

19.30 – 22.00 . Opening party, Hilton Hotel

Tuesday 4th December

09.45 – 16.00 Excursion in Rotterdam

Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, The Netherlands, FYR Macedonia, Ukraine, Sweden, Malta, Greece, Lithuania, Belarus

13.45 – 14.30 . Georgia rehearsal, Ahoy Arena

14.30 – 15.15 . Belgium rehearsal, Ahoy Arena

15.15 – 16.00 . Armenia rehearsal , Ahoy Arena

16.30 – 17.15 . Cyprus rehearsal, Ahoy Arena

17.15 – 18.00 . Portugal rehearsal, Ahoy Arena

18.00 – 18.45 . Russia rehearsal, Ahoy Arena

19.30 – 22.00 . Dance-rehearsal joint song One World, Off-Corso

Wednesday 5th December

09.45 – 16.00 . Excursion in Rotterdam

Georgia, Belgium, Armenia, Cyprus, Portugal, Russia

08.30 – 09.15 . Romania rehearsal, Ahoy Arena

09.15 – 10.00 . Bulgaria rehearsal, Ahoy Arena

10.00 – 10.45 . Serbia rehearsal, Ahoy Arena

11.00 – 11.45 . The Netherlands rehearsal, Ahoy Arena

11.45 – 12.30 . FYR Macedonia rehearsal, Ahoy Arena

13.15 – 14.00 . Ukraine rehearsal, Ahoy Arena

14.00 – 14.45 . Sweden rehearsal, Ahoy Arena

14.45 – 15.30 . Malta rehearsal, Ahoy Arena

16.00 – 16.45 . Greece rehearsal, Ahoy Arena

16.45 – 17.30 . Lithuania rehearsal, Ahoy Arena

17.30 – 18.15 . Belarus rehearsal, Ahoy Arena

20.00 – 22.00 . Sinterklaas evening, Off-Corso

Thursday 6th December

08.30 – 11.30 . Run through, Ahoy Arena

Georgia, Belgium, Armenia, Cyprus, Portugal, Russia, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia

12.00 – 13.00 . Press conference, press centre

12.45 – 15.30 . Rehearsal opening show and joint song One World

15.45 – 18.25 . Run through, Ahoy Arena

The Netherlands, FYR Macedonia, Ukraine, Sweden, Malta, Greece, Lithuania, Belarus

20.00 – 22.00 . Euro disco in Off-Corso

Friday 7th December

15.30 – 17.45 . First dress rehearsal, Ahoy Arena

20.15 – 22.30 . Second dress rehearsal, Ahoy Arena

Saturday 8th December

14.00 – 18.00 . Make-up for all countries

20.15 – 22.30 . Live broadcast Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2007

23.00 – 02.00 . After party

source:belgovision.com

San Marino joins Eurovision

SMTV, San Marino's state broadcaster confirmed they will join the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest in Belgrade next May.

There is an official application to the European Broadcasting Union.

The attention turns into Italy now because half of the broadcaster is actually owned by RAI, the Italian national broadcaster.

source:oikotimes.com

Verka Serduchka a.k.a. Andrei Danilko in hospital

Verka Serduchka a.k.a. Andrei Danilko has been hospitalized recently with pains in his back.

Danilko was taken to one of Kyiv's private clinics where he was diagnosed with 'infringement of a back nerve and vegetative dysfunction'. That is to say, that besides the pains in a back, hypertension was added to the medical findings.

Verka's manager Igor Klinkov explains that illness of the actor is typical of fatigue. "Last year was a very difficult one for us, It is no surprise, that Andrey is overtired and got hypertension ".

Doctors tried to get Andrei back on his feet as soon as possible, because he has to be present at Phillip Kirkorov's birthday concerts and on December 1st he has to leave for London to continue shooting of the programme for one of the Ukrainian channels.

Andrey's physicians did not give any guarantees, but have treated the problem successfully for the time being.

Andrey Danilko has been dismissed from hospital.

sources:esctoday.com;unian.net

Eurovision Song Contest 2008 format

eurovision.tv reports:

SIX POTS

To determine which country will be represented in which Semi-Final, a draw will take place in late January. Based on research conducted by the EBU’s tele-voting partner Digame, analyzing the voting of the Eurovision Song Contest since 2004, the participating countries will be divided into six pots to avoid returning voting patterns.

BIG FOUR Countries

Each broadcaster will of course have to broadcast the Semi-Final they are taking part in. Broadcast of the other Semi-Final is optional. Host country Serbia and the so called Big Four-countries Spain, France, the United Kingdom and Germany, are automatically qualified for the Final. It was decided that each of the qualified Finalists will have to broadcast and vote in one of the Semi-Final, along with those countries that are taking part in it. Broadcast of the other Semi-Final is optional. By draw, also late January, it will be decided which two of the Big Four-countries will broadcast and vote in the first Semi-Final, and which two in the second Semi-Final. Finally, a draw will determine in which Semi-Final the host country will be able to vote. The draw for the running order of the two Semi-Finals and the Final will take place during the Heads of Delegation meeting in mid-March.

BACKUP JURIES

In each Semi-Final, the top-9 from the public televoting results will qualify for the Final. The highest ranked back-up jury participant that did not qualify for the Final at the public tele-voting will also qualify for the Final. This means in each Semi-Final, 10 participants will qualify for the Final, bringing the total number of participants in the Final to 25. The voting in the Final will remain unchanged and all participating countries, including those who did not qualify for the Final, will be able to vote.

Svante Stockselius, the EBU’s Executive Supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest, said to Eurovision.tv: "We are confident that the approved format revisions will take the Eurovision Song Contest to a higher level, by adding exciting elements and, above all, by making the competition more fair and the results more credible."

First Semifinal: Tuesday, 20.05.2008

Second Semifinal : Thursday, 22.05.2008

Final: Saturday, 24.05.2008

The preliminary date for rehearsals to start is Sunday 11th of May and the preliminary opening date for the press centre and accreditation desk is Saturday 10th of May.

D'NASH release new videoclip

D'NASH will be releasing their forthcoming album, including their latest single, on 4th December, titled Todo Va A Cambiar.
This is Spanish version of Amanda the videoclip of their latest song.

sources:esctoday.com;youtube.com

No Eurovision for Austria

Austrian broadcaster ORF will not be sending a representative to the Eurovision Song Contest in 2008. ORF say political voting and an unclear concept for the two semifinal concept are the reasons for their withdrawal. As long as politics rule the Eurovision Song Contest, ORF won't return to the competition.

ORF programme director Wolfgang Lorenz states that the Eurovision Song Contest is a clear sign of the complicated nature of a united Europe. "We have already seen in 2007 that it's not the quality of the song, but the country of origin that determines the decision," Lorenz says. "As long as the Eurovision Song Contest is a political parade and not an international entertainment programme, ORF has no desire to send more Austrian talent to a competition in which they have no chances. Should the situation change, we will be happy to take part again," Lorenz concludes.

read more on belgovision.com

ESC 2008:Two semifinals to be broadcast live

esctoday.com reports:

Svante Stockselius, Executive Supervisor for the Eurovision Song Contest, confirmed in an email to esctoday.com that the proposal put forwards for approval is for both semi finals to be broadcast live. Each country will broadcast the semi final in which they participate in and can vote in that semi final.

With both shows being broadcast live on Tuesday 20th May and Thursday 22nd May, broadcasters will be able to broadcast both shows live if they wish to do so. esctoday.com has also learned that the provisional list of countries that have applied to participate at the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest will be announced in December, although no date has yet been decided upon.

More informations on esctoday.com