The Principality of Monaco, will be launching a new state channel TVMONACO on the 1st of September. Will we be seeing the country return to Eurovision next year?

TVMONACO will be officially launched on Friday 1st September 2023. The new Monegasque television channel will be focusing on broadcasting a variety of programs which will include: local and international news, documentaries, interviews, environmental and conservation issues, sports, lifestyle, current affairs  and shows to promote Monaco’s culture and heritage.

The Monegasque television channel will be led by the following executives:

• Salim Zeghdar (CEO)
  
• Nathalie Biancolli (Deputy CEO)
• Marie-Pierre Gramaglia (President)
• Virginie Lavagna (General Secretary)

The channel will be owned by the state of Monaco and its revenues will come from advertising and the shows it will produce.

Will  Monaco return to Eurovision in 2024?

It’s early days yet, as we will have to wait and see if TVMONACO applies to compete at the forthcoming 2024 Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo, Sweden and if it will join the EBU or be under the umbrella of Monaco Media Diffusion (MMD).

MMD is an active member of the EBU and thus is eligible to partake in the competition. Monaco Media Difussion currently only includes radio channels, it is yet to be seen if TVMONACO will enter under its umbrella and thus become eligible to compete at the Eurovision Song Contest.

We should note that the new Monegasque state channel will be launched on September 1st whilst the deadline for countries to apply for Eurovision 2024 concludes on September 15th and the deadline to withdraw its application without a penalty concludes on October 11th.  The official list of the 2024 Eurovision competing countries is expected to be released by late October as has been custom in recent years. The Semi-final Allocation Draw is scheduled to take place by late January.

The last time Monaco competed at the Eurovision Song Contest was in 2006, back then the Monegasque national broadcaster TMC was responsible for the microstate’s participation at Eurovision. Recently TMC merged into French broadcaster TF 1 and is no more a member of the EBU.

Monaco withdrew from the competition in 2007 and its return to the competition in the near future remains uncertain.

Monaco in Eurovision

Monaco debuted at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1959 and has partaken in the contest 24 times. The tiny principality has won the competition once, namely in 1971 when Severine was crowned the winner in Dublin with her entry Un banc, un arbre, une rue.

The country competed in the contest religiously every year from 1959- 1979, then in 1980 it decided to withdraw from the competition and stayed out until 2004 when it decided to return when the semi-final was introduced.

Monaco competed at the 2004, 2005 and 2006 Eurovision editions and withdrew again in 2007 due to poor results and three consecutive non qualifications.