IBA announced tonight that the proposed collaboration with Israeli Channel 2 has been approved according to respected Israeli news site Ynet. The 2008 Israeli entrant to the Eurovision Song Contest will be selected through a televised national final involving Kohav Nolad's (Pop Idol) participants from all 5 seasons. This new version of the Kdam-Eurovision will be broadcast, for the first time in history, not on IBA but by Channel 2.
Tonight, the Israeli national broadcaster responsible for the country's Eurovision Song contest participation, IBA, approved a historic agreement with Channel 2 regarding the a first collaboration between the two rival broadcasters. This was confirmed by IBA to the leading news website, Ynet.co.il.
According to this agreement, the Israeli participant at the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest in Belgrade will be selected from one of the participants from all 5 seasons of Channel 2 owned Kohav Nolad (Pop Idol). The final entry (song and performer) will be selected through a televised national final (known as Kdam-Eurovision) which will be broadcasted on Channel 2. This is the first time that the Israeli Eurovision Song Contest entry will not be selected on IBA's channel. In addition to the Eurovision entry, during this show, all participants will perform a new commissioned song, bearing a message of peace and sung both in Arabic and Hebrew.
Despite handing over to Channel 2 one of their most prestigious productions, IBA insisted on having the first declaration of the national final participants and the first presentation of the songs, on IBA's television and radio stations.
The whole process will be promoted both by IBA and Channel 2 in a unique collaboration, never to have been seen before in Israel. The long procedure will be under the supervision of IBA to ensure it complies with EBU's regulations. IBA's response to Ynet.co.il approved this information and added that "This collaboration might lead the way to a new and fresh way of thinking".
The possible participants in this new Kdam-Eurovision might be the popular Chen Aharoni, Alissa Shparaga and Miriam Tukan from the last edition of Kohav Nolad. Possible participants from other editions might be Liron Lev, Shiri Biton, Raphael Mirilla and Adi Cohen. It will be interesting to see whether former participants who truly became stars after the show, such as Harel Ska'at, Harel Moyal, Ninet Tayeb and Shiri Maymon, will be interested in taking part in the Kdam-Eurovision. The latter,already tookthe Kdam-Eurovision by storm in 2005 and went on to reach the 4th place in the Eurovision Song Contest in Kyiv.
Whilst this information appears to be confirmed, esctoday.com sources believe that there may be an alternative solution involving one of the 2007 Kohav Nolad finalists should this initiative fail.
