NRK has raised strong concerns over the EBU's proposed dates for the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest, it was claimed yesterday in Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet.

According to the article, the EBU have provisionally set aside May 15th for the semifinal and May 17th for the final of 2008. Although these dates are not yet officially confirmed from any source, the final date in particular would pose a huge problem for Norway, coinciding with the annual national holiday to celebrate Constitution Day.

Watching TV? Out celebrating, more like!
Under normal circumstances, May 17th is a time when Norwegians will be out celebrating and not in watching television, a fact which could have disastrous consequences for viewing figures; and in the event that Norway wins the Eurovision Song Contest 2007, hosting the huge international event in 2008 would be a strategic nightmare amidst the national celebrations.

The broadcast date of the Eurovision Song Contest has fallen close to Constitution Day before, and in fact, the holiday was showcased in the two contests held on Norwegian soil in 1986 and 1996. But if true, its close brush with the contest this time will not be the happy affair it was in Bergen and Oslo.