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TMC confirms
Monaco will not return in 2008
TMC, the Monegasque broadcaster, have confirmed that they will not be represented in the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest to be held in Belgrade in May. Monaco had been a regular participant since 1959 until they withdrew for the first time in 1979. After a 25 year-long break, Monaco returned but never made it to the final placing low in the semi final scoreboard (21-24).
In an interview with esctoday.com a year ago, Phil Bosco - Head of the Monegasque delegation from 2004 to 2006- admitted that the main reason for their withdrawal was they felt that they didn't stand a chance to qualify to the final due to the prevailing voting patterns. It seems that the Monegasque broadcaster is still not convinced that the new two semi final format will offer them a fairer chance for qualification.
Related polls
- Jury vote, do you agree?
- Jury vote only in the final or in the semis as well?
- What mixture of televote and jury vote do you think is the best?
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If they dont want to participate, who cares...
they loose.
I have pretty the same observation as Keith does. One more point. Many non-fan Eurovision viewers keep asking me why Italy is not in.
Despite my harsh words I do hope each year that a small country does well. I willed Andorra to get through. I wish San Marino luck and hope they make a breakthrough.
nobody likes cry babies...
Well, historically ESC has not been suitable everytime for all the EBU members and the withdrawals have been quite common since the 60s until now. Remember:
- Denmark withdrew in 1966 no returning until 1978.
- Malta withdrew in 1975 no returning until 1991.
- Lithuania withdrew in 1994 no returning until 1999.
Other countries like France, Turkey, Israel, Norway, Greece or Netherlands have withdrawn some years, but they returned after all.
Bad news, but I'm not surprised.
The return of the boycotting countries (Italy, Luxembourg, Austria and Monaco) will depend, in a big part, on the success of San Marino in Belgrade.
Too much pressure for a debuting country, I'm afraid...
NOTE: I don't consider Slovakia as a boycotting country because it's supposed this country doesn't participate due to its broadcaster's financial problems and not because it would be against the current formula of ESC, like the other four countries have expressely repeated many times.
What's all the fuss with Monaco?? A little country of 30 000 people. Will hardly be missed, not really a major Eurovision player.
Yes, but why say that their points should all be combined into one or two sets of points?
Read the rest of my post: I say they should either vote equally or not vote at all.
Michael UK - you're absolutely right.
@w g: The answer to that is very simple: They are not qualified!!!
What is the rationale for saying that the non-qualified semi-finalists should have their votes combined into two sets of 1-12? Why does the fact of not having qualified make a country's vote less valid? I think they should either vote equally or not at all. (Actually, not at all makes more logical sense: they don't have a stake in the final so shouldn't vote in it. But I am a pragmatist so I do realise you have to keep the ratings up in the non-qualified countries, not to mention the cash from the phone votes).
As to Monaco's continued absence, yes it is a pity. But considering that in three attempts in the C21st they have failed so miserably so attract points, it's hardly surprising. I don't think this logically leads to speculation about the withdrawal of other more consistent countries.
@ kris fruyt
surely this could be a proposal...especially the 1 vote per number can solve many things...but it won't come true i m afraid cause there r money at stake :-(
I completely agree with some of the comments below:
In the final, the 25 countries still competing each announce there own 1 to 12 points
Mixed up in there we then go to semi final 1 where all the knocked out countries give a joined 1 to 12 points then semi final 2 give a joined 1 to 12 points.
This would meen all the countries still get to vote so they won't lose interest and the EBU gets money from televotes but neighbourly voting would have little or no effect as they would all be counted together
The announcers should be the 2 countries that came in 11th in each semi.
BUT they shouldn't be put at the end as this will make it look a bit of an after thought they should be mixed in randomly with the single voting countries.
I think this is the perfect solution and you can read out the full 1 to 12 as it will only be 27 voting.
its typically idiotic of the EBU to allow only the semi finalists in each semi to vote in that semi , and then allow ALL countires to vote in the final! it doesnt take a brain surgeon to work out that the neighbour amd diaspora voting will be just as bas as ever, and a fair result at eurovision will never be possibles whilst televoting alone decides the result. its a complete farce at the moment and i doubt if mr stocks-useless cares a jot!
yay! good news 
Keith, Kris & Bepo: I typed a lenghty-ish post in reply to your messages, but it seems that it's vanished. I can't be bothered to type again, so, sorry - another time.
@vn,
Well I think the only way to change things is not 2 semi's. Because once in the final all countries can vote again. I think the solution is televoting (but only 1 vote per number) and professional jury (both for 50%). And only the countries participating in the final to give their votes and all the other countries votes put together and give 1 set of marks. What do you think ?
@ kris fruyt don't get me wrong... i would of course wish a change to how voting takes place...and nether and uk-2 countries mentioned in previous posts- as u can see in my prof r 2 of my most beloved esc nations. I have loved their entries and i agree they ve been robbed lately. But i still say that esc was never fair and a better formula must be sought...not a return to its former unjust status.
And though i would love some of my favourite dutch or uk entries to have scored better i would never call their countries to withdraw as i ve never done for my country too. I ll miss them and that counts more to me than how they score
@vn
my friend, to answer your question, I wouldn't regret my country to withraw. Because now every year, we get expectations and every year we get the cold shower. To be honest, we make a fool of ourselves, and on top of that we pay for it....
Darko, yes indeed, if interested Russia could have arranged the whole Contest alone. but it is not like it will get interested. Russia has Slavanskij Bazar, Sochi Festival, Zolotoj Gramofon and etc. so we've better to keep big4. but i would extend it to big 5 including Russia.
I think if Andorra or San Marino qualifies this year Monaco will re enter in 2009 (and possibly Austria), but if that doesn't happen...
why should Serbia at all join the EU?? it is self sufficient country and in my opinion should work closer with its allias - powerful and resourceful Russia.
i agree with the last post of v n. i don't regret about Monaco's decision much, but if more countries act like that, what will happen to the Contest? winning and scoring are important, but indeed by far not the only reason we like the whole thing.
And finally to all those who congratulate monaco on its decision and call for their countries to withdraw too...: do u really want your countries to withdraw? is expectation for winning or scoring well the only reason u call yourselves escfans?
i totally agree with all those who r fed up with neighbour political voting and i think last years voting was one of the worst.
But i m going to disagree in three points...
1st noone of these guys who lament over the lost credit of esc do not mention the fact that esc voting was more or less always political. Turkey and greece have sent imo very good songs over the years...but political voting had always prevented both countries from top positions. Did u give a shit back then?
2nd italy and luxembourg have withdrawn long before eastern political voting started. Monaco was absent for years and its logical for such a small country to be on and off by the years.
So the only true protesting withdrawal was austria. And most of us would agree that austria, with the exception of yasi that was robbed imo due to directors faults mostly, has always gained the positions that its entries deserved...nothing more nothing less. So i dont care what austria may do...they r just bad losers.
3rdIMO the contest should never return to how it was. Cause it was very unfair for some countries. And it must not stay as it is cause its unfair to more countries now. Judges cannot add anything, cause judges can still be biased
I'm not sure, but I think I'd prefer participating every year even with smaller chances of winning it - it should be about sharing your best song with the others, no?
Why 
?
What about Luxembourg and Italy?
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