Eurovision faces tough questions on song contest in Serbia

Michael Hedges February 23, 2008

Violent demonstrations in Serbia raised tensions among Eurovision Song Contest organizers. Eurovision and the EBU downplayed suggestions of moving the venue from Belgrade.

Ever diplomatic, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) released a statement (Friday February 22) saying it “has no plans to move the 53rd Eurovision Song Contest from Belgrade.” Calling the violence occurring throughout Serbia during the week “recent irregularities” the EBU statement said there would be “no delays.” Serbian public broadcaster RTS “will obtain a security guarantee from the government of Serbia regarding a complete and absolute safety of all participants and visitors.”

Monday (February 18) RTS quickly postponed its national contestant selection show Beovizija, originally scheduled for broadcast last week. RTS executive producer for ECS Sandra Susa announced the decision saying it was “a question of national responsibility.” Rescheduling has not been set. “It is very difficult to say at this moment when Beovizija will be held. I suppose it will be in two or three weeks,” she said, adding that the May 20 to 24 broadcasts will not be effected.

By Thursday (February 21) concerns escalated as Slovenia public broadcasting (RTVSLO) representative Misa Molk told a television interviewer that the Eurovision planners would hold a conference call Friday morning, “a crisis meeting about the imminent risk…”. The ESC “…now possibly must be moved to another country,” she added.  Through the week protesters turned their violent intentions toward the Croatian, Turkish, Bosnian, German and Slovenian embassies in Belgrade.

Friday morning, Finnish public TV (YLE) representative Kjell Ekholm, producer of the 2007 ESC, offered Helsinki as an option.

The executive body controlling the Eurovision Song Contest is the ESC Reference Group.  As Executive Producer of the 2008 ESC Sandra Susa is a member along with YLE’s Kjell Ekholm and RTVSLO’s Misa Molk. The ESC Reference Group is chaired by Ruurd Bierman of Dutch public broadcaster NOS.

All things noted, Eurovision Song Contest Executive Producer Svante Stockselius moderated, so to speak, the conference call. The highly nuanced final statement of the ESC Reference Group, following that conference call, reinforced support for RTS but made clear that security issues would have to be addressed and solved.  Earlier in the week he reminded one and all that “ the Eurovision Song Contest is non-political event and we have problems every year. I will remind you of the fact that it was held in Kiev in 2005 without any problems in the middle of revolution in Ukraine.”

The bonus for winning the Eurovision Song Contest is hosting the event the following year. It’s an opportunity for the national public broadcaster – and the country – to show their stuff. Only five times has the designated host demurred, in each case for financial reasons.

RTS is, arguably, the smallest public broadcaster to host the event. Production and logistic expenses are borne by the host broadcaster. Eurovision, thinking forward, obtained a major sponsor - Raiffeisen Bank - for the Belgrade broadcast. Sponsors like big audiences and interest in ESC has grown measurably in recent years. Sponsors, particularly banks, do not like controversy. Protesters stoned the Belgrade office of Raiffeisen Bank this week, according to B92. 

Simmering still is discomfort with ESC’s trajectory, notably among incumbent West European public broadcasters. Winners and losers are selected by a voting scheme allowing viewers to vote for their favorites. As ESC participation, not to forget television audiences, moved eastward many in ‘old Europe’ felt disenfranchised. Critics blamed ‘bloc-voting’ when Ukrainian singer Ruslana Lyzhichko won in 2004. Whinging reached a pinnacle last year when Serbia’s Marija Serifovic the ESC. Contest rules have been changed to, possibly, quell critics.

Despite EBU and Eurovision objectives to keep the ESC a fun and non-political television event there are moments when restraint slips away. Serbian singer Marija Serifovic, named one of 15 international ambassadors by the European Commission’s European Year of Intercultural Dialogue, raised eyebrows in Brussels by endorsing ultra-nationalist presidential candidate Tomislav Nikolic.

Jumpy last week at any perceived slight the Serbian Embassy in Brussels complained that Flemish public broadcaster VRT “insults the Serbian people” in its Eurosong 2008 program which selects the Belgian ESC participant. The Serbian government took as a slight two characters in the TV show portraying ‘Serbian assistants’ who like vodka and steal mobile phones. VRT officially apologized, a spokesman noting, "These simply are clichés and caricatures which - like all caricatures - don't represent reality, but are funny."