TVE's new national final concept, replacing the Operación Triunfo format, could not stop the descending trend in the interest in the Spanish Eurovision Song Contest selections. Only 2.063.000 people watched last Saturday's Spanish national final.

Spanish broadcaster TVE has known much better times. In 2001 the first edition of Operación Triunfo attracted an average of no less than 6.767.000 viewers. However, the concept was already less successful in its second edition the year after. Last year, Operación Triunfo 3 only reached half of the amount of the first edition, 3.429.000 viewers.

Time for a change, TVE thought, and the Spanish broadcaster turned back to the national final concept. The shows Eurovisión 2005. Elige nuestra canción however couldn't turn the tide. Only 2.063.000 people watched last Saturday's Spanish national final, resulting in a market share of only 16%. The semifinal on Friday was an even bigger disaster, attracting only 1,6 million viewers.

Son de Sol, the female trio from Andalusia, won the Spanish final with the song Brujería and will represent Spain in the final of the 2005 Eurovision Song Contest on 21st May in Kiev.