Breaking news from Geneva! The European Broadcasting Union today decided that the special 50th Anniversary show to honour the Eurovision Song Contest, planned to be broadcast in October 2005, will be hosted by the Danish broadcaster DR. Earlier it was announced that the BBC would host the show.
“The interest for this special show is big, we have already received signed letters of intent from members in many countries”, Svante Stockselius, Supervisor of the contest at the EBU, said.
DR participated in the announced tender among the members in May to present an idea of how one of the world's most successful television entertainment shows could celebrate its 50th anniversary. DR's idea Extravaganza was favoured by the Reference Group of the Eurovision Song Contest, as it combined several elements of the contest's glorious history, and the signs of a true modern television entertainment show.
The date and the venue for this special show of the 50th Anniversary of Eurovision Song Contest will be confirmed at the meeting of the Reference Group in Kiev on 3rd September.
“DR has proven to be a successful host of live entertainment events. They hosted the biggest Eurovision Song Contest ever (45,000 spectators) in 2001 and was the host broadcaster of the first Junior Eurovision Song Contest last year. I am confident they will do a highly professional job”, Stockselius says.
DR's TV director Jörgen Ramskov reacted: “It is a big honour for DR to be given the responsibility to host this special show”. The previous announced plan to host the special anniversary show in London was changed, mainly because of problems finding an available venue. The preferred option,the Royal Albert Hall, was appearantly not available.
