The Netherlands: Ratings and preliminary plans of AVROTROS

by Roy Knoops 785 views

Although Dutch broacaster AVROTROS has yet to officially confirm its participation in Eurovision 2016, they have given a statement to Dutch programme EenVandaag in which they reveal some preliminary plans.

From 2013 onwards, Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS chose a different approach to select its representative at the Eurovision Song Contest: a big national star was internally selected, with the freedom to choose their own song. In 2013 with Anouk (Birds, 9th place in the grand final) and 2014 with The Common Linnets (Ilse DeLange and Waylon, Calm after the storm, 2nd place in the grand final) this approach worked out successfully. This year AVROTROS selected artist Trijntje Oosterhuis with the song Walk along, written by Anouk, to represent her country in Vienna.

Unfortunately, Trijntje Oosterhuis did not make it to the grand final, achieving a 14th place out of 16 contestants in semi-final one. However, taken the split jury/televote outcome into account, Trijntje Oosterhuis came 6th overall with the jury’s, yet 15th overall in televoting, leading op to her 14th place in the ranking. Bad staging and miscommunication with the Austrian visual technicians are named as causes for her low ranking in televoting.

Dutch programme EenVandaag got a statement from a delegation member of AVROTROS: the broadcaster will keep the same course for next year, internally selecting a good artist with a great song. So no preselections or National Song Contest will be held.

Broadcaster AVROTROS, the selection commission and Trijntje Oosterhuis will also evaluate her performance.

The first semi-final on Tuesday 19th of May, with Trijntje Oosterhuis, was the best watched programme on Dutch TV, with some 3.4 million viewers. In comparison, the ratings of the second semi-final on Thursday 21st of May dropped to 964.000 viewers. However, even without a Dutch representative, the grand final of the ESC 2015 on Saturday May the 23rd was the best watched programme of the evening with some 2 million viewers, with a peak at the moment when Trijntje Oosterhuis’ sister-in-law, singer Edsilia Rombley (Eurovision 1998 and 2007), delivered the Dutch votes. It can be concluded that Eurovision has regained popularity in The Netherlands, an indication for the AVROTROS to proceed in the same manner.

Meanwhile, several artists are said to have already contacted AVROTROS for eventual participation in Eurovision 2016. Although no names were disclosed, rumours mention artists that already had contact with AVROTROS for ESC 2015, such as Alain Clark and Dotan, and others include the winner of The Voice of Holland season two, Iris Kroes, and the winners of The Voice Of Holland season five, O’G3NE (sisters Lisa, Amy & Shelley, Junior Eurovision 2007).

Listen to the Dutch entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2015, Trijntje Oosterhuis with Walk Along: