Norway's national broadcaster, NRK are happy with the viewing figures for the first semi final of their Eurovision Song Contest national selection show, Melodi Grand Prix. Initial concerns at a loss of interest in the competition after the country failed to reach the Eurovision Song Contest final in 2007.
NRK confirmed to esctoday.com that they recieved 758.000 viewers for the first Melodi Grand Prix show broadcast live from the city of Stavanger. The number is just 9,00 fewer than the 769.000 that saw the first show from Alta last year.
Norway suffered one of the largest viewing figure drops at the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest after Guri Schanke missed out on a place in the final. Whilst 706,000 people watched the Semi final show from Helsinki, only 573,000 tuned in for the Saturday night final. This represents a fall of allmost 65% from 2006 when 1,373,000 watched the show (an 81.5% audience share).
For those of you who missed the show, you can watch the video here.
Norway's second semi final takes place tomorrow (Friday) 18th January 2008 from Kongsvinger. The line up for the show is:
- Always Always, Zuma
- Would you spend the night with me, Cube
- A little more, Anne Hvidsten
- Get up, Crash!
- I'm in love, Sven Garås
- Hold on be strong, Maria Haukaas Storeng
