According to DotEurovision.com, the twelve songs competing in the Norwegian national final Melodi Grand Prix 2003 will be aired one a day during the sports series dedicated to the World Championship on Ski, which will take place in the Italian ski resort Val di Fiemme.
Major sports events have always attracted huge amounts of televiewers in Norway just like in other countries. The Norwegian broadcaster NRK does therefore have great expectations in this combination of two popular events. This is likely to generate the interest for Melodi Grand Prix 2003 as well as a more fair outcome of the competition as many viewers have already previewed the videos and listened to the songs. The videos will be aired in the period February 17 to 28, but it's still unsure when two of the finalists will get their share of prime time television; the former Popstars-participant Alfie, having composed two of the final entries (his own One and Don's Perfect Tragedy), and the group Monopole. The rest of the participants will be broadcast after the following plan:
February 18: Ingvild Pedersen
February 19: Linda Kvam
February 20: Don
February 21: Daddy Cool
February 22: Birgitte Einarsen
February 23: Jostein Hasselgård
February 24: Kikki, Bettan & Lotta
February 25: Åse Karin Hjelen
February 26: Soda
February 27: Erik Jacobsen
The ticket provider for events happening in Oslo Spektrum, the most important cultural venue in Norway, ticnet.no, can today assure that there are still lots of tickets available for Melodi Grand Prix 2003.
The compilation CD with the twelve songs will be released on the same day as the event will be organized, on March 1. The comedian Øystein Bache, who have hosted several comedy series on the statal broadcaster in the past, will host Melodi Grand Prix for the fourth time – his first appearance dating back to 1989.
Besides of the living symbols of the Eurovision Song Contest, the Swedish trio Bettan, Kikki and Lotta, the dance group Soda (pictured) is the most prominent participants in the final. They had huge success with their two first albums, which gave them commercial hits like 2 Cool 2 B Cool, Hurricane, Please don't tease and Summer Delight. On their own website, they describes themselves as “the best selling Norwegian pop/dance act ever”.
