Spanish public broadcaster TVE has decided not to take part in the forthcoming Junior Eurovision Song Contest. Javier Pons, director of TVE, has justified this determination saying that the Junior Eurovision promotes stereotypes we do not share. The broadcaster has achieved high ranks in these past years (2nd in 2003, 1st in 2004, 2nd in 2005 and 4th in 2006), but TVE wants the EBU to consider if the Junior Contest is a good way for children to develop their artistic skills.
The 5th edition of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest is to be held on December 8th in Rotterdam (the Netherlands), but one of the most successful countries in this competition, Spain, hasdecided to withdraw. The Spanish public broadcaster, TVE, has the aim of offering programmes for kids according with them, and the Junior Eurovision Song Contest doen't seem to be among those programmes accordign to TVE.
The director of TVE, Javier Pons, said that this decision was based on the stereotypes that the Junior Eurovision Song Contest promotes, stereotypes not shared by TVE. Now, Televisión Española is seeking new formulas to transmit other values. Pons has given the example of the programme El conciertazo (The big concert), a show where several pieces of classical music are played by an orchestra in a special format for kids. The public television wants to take this debate to the EBU.
Pons mentioned some of the stereotypes that TVE doesn't want to promote: performances that seem to be exaggerated for very young kids, short dresses, suggestive choreographies, a big competitiveness… TVE claims that in television formats like the Junior Eurovision Song Contest , dangerous lines can be crossed.
TVE's decision has been taken despite the good results achieved by Spain in the 4 first editions of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. The Iberian country won in 2004 with María Isabel singing Antes muerta que sencilla, and got two second places in both 2003 and 2005. Spain dropped to the 4th position in 2006.
For the moment, TVE is not opening the debate about the Eurovision Song Contest and the poor results obtained by Spain in the last years. However, Javier Pons has admitted that another reflection has to be made.
