EBU

After eight years in the position as Executive Supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest Svante Stockselius has decided that it is time to try something else. He will finish with the up coming Junior Contest and at the end of the year leave his position. It has not yet been decided who will take over after him.

Marcel Bezençon, who was the director of the European Broadcasting Union, had the idea of the Eurovision Song Contest, which is based on Italian famous San Remo festival, in 1955. After his death in 1981, it was decided to give awards based on his name.

This year's contest was a roaring success both in terms of organisation, the general musical quality and standard of many entries. The viewing figures just released by the EBU for this year's contest are also being hailed as a viewing triumph.

Weeks of speculation finally came to a close when the complete results of both the public televote and the jury vote were revealed by the EBU. Whereas the first and last positions were undisputable and agreed upon by both voting groups, were the results really as cut and dried as they appeared to be in this year's final?

As we reported about the Azerbaijani national final in early March, Safura would be representing Azerbaijan at the Eurovision Song Contest this year, but the name of the song was not released at the time.

This morning it was revealed that tickets for the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest will go on sale on the 8th of February. As usual tickets can be purchased in various categories and they will be available for each of the three live shows and for the second and third dress rehearsal of the final.

Two of the major cases in relation to the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest saw its ending today when it was published that both Spain and Azerbaijan will receive a fine for their breaking of the rules. EBU wants to send a strong signal to broadcasters not to do that and denies that one of the fines is just 2700 Euros.

While speculation is increasing about the successor to Hadise, TRT, who is in charge of the Eurovision Song Contest broadcast in Turkey, has asked the public to share their opinions about 2010, just as they did last year.

Following complaints that some people in Azerbaijan who voted for Armenia were visited by the Police, the Reference Group of the European Broadcasting Union convened to discuss the matter. Today they released the following statement announcing their decision:

Last year's Turkish representative, Belgian born Hadise, has been named by the Belgian media for the Eurovision Song Contest 2010. Hadise came 4th with her song Düm Tek Tek at the Eurovision Song Contest 2009.