A US song competition based on the Eurovision Song Contest is being developed by American network NBC. The programme is intended to challenge American Idol, a ratings winner which is screened on rival network Fox. A grand final with a singing representative from each US state and public voting is planned.
“The Eurovision Song Contestis the granddaddy of all talent shows and the Super Bowl of singing”, said Ben Silverman, chairman of series producers Reveille, 51 years after the first Eurovision Song Contest took place.
An online competition will be held first to find singers from each US state to go forward to the grand final, with the winner will land a recording contract. Further details of the new contest are still in development, while it is expected to become a series rather than a one-night event.
UPDATE: Svante Stockselius, supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of the European Broadcasting Union, stated to esctoday.com that NBC applied to obtain the rights. Negotiations between NBC and the EBU will soon take off.
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