On 31 March, 2006, the editors of esctoday.com announced that 5 simultaneous semi-finals would be held beginning in 2007 which would easily allow 55 countries and songs to compete in the Eurovision Song Contest. Only the winning country and the “Big Four” (UK, Germany, Spain, France) would be directly qualified for the final. Details were to be announced on April 1, 2006. That date is better known as April Fool's Day. Two years ago the editors were having one on, and everyone had a good laugh. This year the Song Contest organizers are completely earnest in offering a plan with many similarities.
The esctoday.com editorial team imagined that each of the Semis would be held in April and hosting duties would be divided amount the top finalists from the previous year. According to the actual plan (still under discussion) there will only be two Semi's for 2008 (perhaps leaving room for growth), they will be held two days before the Final, and they will also both be hosted by last year's winner (Serbia). The esctoday.com team had also imagined that "During the pool semifinals, cross-links will be made between broadcasts to present short re-caps of the songs that qualified or even failed to qualify for the final." This is an idea which still seems like it could see the light of day.
Is the EBU's plan making April's fools of everyone? Some fans seem to think so – if the reactions on this site are any indication. The original gag in 2006 went overboard – five simultaneous semis, organized by five host broadcasters? That's a lot of contest to organize. But was it all really all so unimaginable?
As Sietse Bakker – the Editor and Chief of this website at the time – said an April Fool's story "should appeal to recent developments" it "should have a big part that makes sense" Even two years ago format discussions were "fresh".
The EBU is now ready to expand the Semi-final format in an attempt to make the Contest more viable. Is it actually the end of the Song Contest? Will the new format destroy a 50+ year European tradition? One certainly can hope that the EBU and its member broadcasters have faith in maintaining one of the world's biggest entertainment television programs, and one wants to believe that they have thought this change through. "Mr T", an esctoday.com member, wrote in a reaction on this site: "This is a good plan. Apparently not for … diehard fans – who want to see every second from every semi completely live – but it is a good plan for the big public." Can "diehard fans" also find a "win" – something to get excited about – in a format featuring simultaneous Semi finals?
The end of the Eurovision Song Contest? Who wants to prove "Mr. T" right when he says, "No no, on the contrary…"
