A week after announcing its withdrawal from the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, Spanish broadcaster TVE has announced that it will be sticking by the Eurovision Song Contest despite changes to the format of the contest which are “not always positive”.

In the announcement – a reply to the Spanish member of parliament Macarena Montesinos' suggestion that the corporation withdraw from entering the contest – TVE states that it will not abandon an event which still draws in a global audience in excess of 100 million viewers across not only Europe, but the World; as such the broadcaster recognises its "obvious value as a public service: music and the peaceful discovery of other nations".

Changes not always positive
Despite this, TVE also raised issues about recent changes such as televoting, which are "not always positive in choosing the best song". Despite developments such as the introduction of the semifinal in 2004 reflecting "the new reality in Europe", the EBU admits that the format undergoes a constant process of tweaking and perfecting. However, with TVE benefitting from an average viewership of 3.3 million for the event (a meaty 28% share), the contest does not seem in danger of losing its Spanish representative in the near future.