Ireland's Eurovision entry 2008 - anyone?

[ONeill]

RTÉ's participation in The Eurovision Song Contest 2008

RTÉ is pleased to announce a new competition that will pick Ireland's entry to the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC), to be held in Belgrade, Serbia, in May 2008.

Earlier this year, a number of changes to the overall structure of the Eurovision Song Contest were adopted. These include the introduction of two semi-finals to the competition, which every country (apart from the host nation and the UK, Germany, France and Spain) must compete in. Ireland's entry will compete in one of the semi-finals on Thursday, the 22nd May, 2008. The two semi-finals are planned to take place simultaneously.

Separately, in the context of the continually changing nature of the ESC and following the result for Ireland in Helsinki this year, RTÉ decided to look again at the strategy for selecting Ireland's entry and for that purpose RTÉ assembled a consultative committee of interested parties from the music writing, music performance and dance arts, to assist RTÉ in the review.

The consultative committee consisted of:

Linda Martin, singer and ESC winner
Johnny Lappin, music publisher and IMRO board member
David Bolger, Artistic Director, Coiscéim Dance Company
Colman Clinch, Assistant Director of RAAP, the performers association
Kevin Linehan, Commissioning Editor, Entertainment and Music, RTÉ
Julian Vignoles, Assistant Commissioning Editor, Entertainment, RTÉ

The key findings of the committee were that the ESC has changed to incorporate bigger and bigger productions, that the growth in the number of Eastern European countries participating has made the contest even more competitive, and that it has become, as at TV phenomenon, more and more elaborate. The view of the committee is that it has become a performance contest, as much as a song contest.

Having discussed these issues with the committee, RTÉ intend in 2008 to give the best possible opportunity to the creativity of Irish songwriters, singers, dancers and performance artists to create a really competitive Irish entry.

With this in mind, the following strategy has been decided:

RTÉ will be selecting our ESC 2008 entry by means of a national competition, to be called Eurosong 2008. This approach will not be unlike the National Song Contest of previous years, but will encourage innovation not only in music but also in visual presentation, in keeping with the ESC contests we've seen in recent years.

With that aim, RTÉ is inviting entries that include the song, the singer(s) and any proposed performance/staging details. In this scenario, it is expected that song entries will have singers attached when the entries are being submitted and that singers submitting entries will have agreed with the song composer that they will perform that song composer's entry.

The closing date for entries will be at noon on Monday, the 21st of January 2008. Entries should be submitted to Fidelma Kelly, RTÉ Entertainment, Donnybrook, Dublin 4.

It is a condition of entry to Eurosong 2008 that song entries and their songwriter(s) and performer(s) must at all times comply with the rules listed below and also with the ESC 2008 rules published by the EBU, which are available at the following website: www.eurovision.tv. In the event of any failure to comply with the rules listed below and/or the ESC 2008 Rules the relevant entry (and songwriter and performer) may be disqualified by RTÉ and/or the EBU.

As in previous years, a preliminary judging panel, consisting of five people (a previous Eurovision stand-by jury member, a performer, a songwriter, a TV director and a Eurovision fan) assembled by RTÉ, will select from all the entries received a shortlist of entries to go to the final judging committee. This final judging committee will then select from the shortlist six entries to compete in Eurosong, to be broadcast as a television special by RTÉ in February 2008.

The preliminary judging panel and the final judging committee will make their selections employing the following criteria:

a) suitability of the song for the ESC
b) quality of the singer/performer(s)
c) experience of the singer/performer(s)
d) stage appeal of the entry

The composition of the final judging committee selecting the six finalists will reflect songwriting, performance arts and television production and will be chaired by Bill Hughes, who has extensive experience of television and stage production in both music and dance and is a keen follower of the Eurovision Song Contest.

Eurosong 2008 will be a high quality live entertainment show, to be held in a venue to be announced, in February 2008. The RTÉ Eurosong producer and team will work with each of the six finalist acts in advance of the Eurosong 2008 television show, to prepare them for performing for the TV audience.

Ireland's entry for the ESC 2008 will be selected from the six finalists by a public televote to be held on the night of Eurosong 2008, the winning entry to be the one that gets the highest number of televotes on the night.

Following selection of the winning entry, RTÉ will appoint a producer/creative director and team to work with the songwriter(s) and performer(s) to mould the winning song and performance for the ESC in May 2008, it being recognised by the songwriter(s) and performer(s) that while RTE will obviously consult with them in this respect RTÉ is obliged to retain final decision and control over the arrangement, performance, staging and recording of the winning entry for the purposes of ESC 2008.

The rules:

1. All song entries must be submitted on CD and be accompanied by six written copies of the song lyrics, details of the singer(s) (including written confirmation of their agreement and availability to sing/perform the song in accordance with these rules and the ESC 2008 rules), and any suggestions for staging of the song. If it is proposed that there will be people on stage in addition to the singer e.g. dancers, this should be specified (it should be noted that RTE will have final approval over any such additional people). Submission of a video or DVD of a performance of the entry by the relevant singer/act showing proposed staging is also encouraged. Note that performers will be required at both Eurosong 2008 and ESC 2008 to perform live on stage, accompanied by a recorded backing-track which contains no vocals of any kind or any vocal imitations.
2. The singer(s) performing the song as submitted on CD/DVD must be the singer(s) that it is proposed will sing and perform the song in the Eurosong Final and the ESC 2008.
3. Songs cannot exceed 3 minutes in duration.
4. Each composer can only enter one song (including co-writes).
5. Where a singer has agreed to sing or perform on a song entry then that singer cannot submit a separate song entry of his/her own or sing or perform on any other song entry.
6. The song (lyrics and music) must be original to, and written solely by, the songwriter(s) named in the entry.
7. The song (lyrics and music) must not have been commercially released and/or publicly performed before the 1st October 2007.
8. The lyrics and/or performance of songs must not bring the Eurosong Final or the Eurovision Song Contest into disrepute and no lyrics, speeches, gestures of a political or similar nature are permitted nor will swearing or other unacceptable language be allowed in the lyrics or in the performances of songs. In addition, no commercial messages of any kind shall be allowed in the lyrics or in the performances of the songs.
9. Each songwriter and singer must be a citizen of Ireland or alternatively have such citizenship and/or valid visas as shall allow that person to travel to and attend (and in the case of the singer perform at) the Eurosong Final in Ireland and, if selected as the winning entry of Eurosong 2008, the ESC 2008 in Serbia. In the event of any issue regarding compliance of any songwriter or singer with this requirement the decision of RTE shall be final.
10. Each performance may consist of a maximum of six people on stage.
11. All performers must be aged at least 16 on the day of the Semi-Final of the ESC 2008.
12. Songwriters and performers may not discuss their entries with members of the judging committee at any time prior to selection of the winner of Eurosong 2008.
13. In consideration of the opportunity to enter the competition each songwriter and singer/performer agrees to grant (and to procure where necessary from any music publisher and/or record company to which they are contracted) all necessary rights, consents and waivers that will be required by the EBU under the ESC 2008 Rules including without limitation the following rights as they are defined in the ESC 2008 Rules: Broadcasting Rights, Public Performance Rights, Preview Rights, all CD DVD Compilation and Download Rights; Extract Rights; National Selection Extract Rights; Authorizations as set out in Section Six part 2) including without limitation authorization to reproduce, translate and use lyrics for informational and promotional use and for the karoake on-line competition; authorization to use, reproduce, print and publish their name, likeness, voice, photographs and biography in connection with the promotion, broadcast, and/or commercial exploitation of the ESC 2008 programmes by any and all means and in all media, whether now known or hereafter developed, for an unlimited period of time, and the agreement of the singer/performer to go on a promotion tour if they win the ESC 2008.
14. Each songwriter and singer/performer agrees to be available for promotional activities as may be required by RTÉ and that their performances, recordings, name, likeness, photograph, and biographical information may be used by RTÉ in connection with the Eurosong 2008 competition and the ESC 2008 and in any advertising and publicity relating to such events.
15. In the event that a singer of a song chosen as a finalist for Eurosong 2008 or as the entry to the ESC 2008 is unable to perform at Eurosong 2008 or the ESC 2008 due to illness or some other reason outside the reasonable control of the singer or the songwriter of that song then RTÉ may in RTÉ's sole discretion disqualify the song and replace it with a different entry or permit another singer to perform the song.
16. RTÉ's decision on the performers of all entries and on the performance, arrangement, staging and recording of entries will be final and conclusive.
17. RTÉ shall have the right at any time to disqualify any entry where that entry or any songwriter or any performer of that entry breaches any rule of this competition and/or any rules of the ESC 2008 and in the event of disqualification prior to Eurosong 2008 of any of the six finalist entries selected for Eurosong 2008 RTÉ shall have the right to replace the disqualified entry by another entry selected by the final judging committee and in the event of disqualification of the entry voted in Eurosong 2008 as the entry to ESC 2008 RTÉ shall have the right to replace that disqualified entry by the entry that got the next highest number of votes in Eurosong 2008 unless the disqualification is decided after the Meeting of the Heads of Delegation for ESC 2008 in which case under ESC 2008 Rules RTÉ may be prohibited from submitting a replacement entry. This rule 17 is without prejudice to the EBU's separate right to disqualify entries under the ESC 2008 Rules.
18. RTÉ's decision on all matters regarding the application of the rules of the competition will be final. These rules are governed by Irish law and the songwriter(s) and singer(s)/performers of each entry agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Ireland.

[Fiodoir Ard Mhacha]

Hardly relevant anymore, but Jesus, could Ireland not come up with something better than Niamh Kavanagh (again) and the Titanicesque offering for Oslo, 2010.

[gerry]

The years have not being kind to her, suppose thats what two kids do for you.

[ONeill]

Hardly relevant anymore, but Jesus, could Ireland not come up with something better than Niamh Kavanagh (again) and the Titanicesque offering for Oslo, 2010.

Ah yer joking? Not another Logan-esque dirge?

[Capt Pat]

It is a nice song but maybe not powerful enough to win the Euro vision the way it is these days.

They had the euro vision makia, Logan, dana, Marty and Michael Ball on saying it was sure to be a big success. it also got maximum votes.

[no mo do yakamo]

The years have not being kind to her, suppose thats what two kids do for you.

What did the kids do to her? Beat on her face with hurleys?

[ross4life]

The years have not being kind to her, suppose thats what two kids do for you.

as the saying goes... what's the difference between a girlfriend & a wife......... 200 pounds!

i don't see the Problem having Niamh in it again she has alot more talent than the Rubbish Ireland have sent out over the last few years!

[Capt Pat]

Don't worry lads it is a clever tactic by Ireland to corner the European fat vote.

[balladmaker]

What was the story with Johnny Logan on Friday's Late Late...is he officially off his rocker now? 

[maggie]

JL seemed a bit of a space cadet alright.
As for Dana, going into one about 'influencing the public vote/I'm not here to be a judge'. You'd think we were all on the edge of our seats waiting to hear her opinion.
Ryan seemed to be a bit bemused by the whole thing.

[Tony Baloney]

JL seemed a bit of a space cadet alright.
As for Dana, going into one about 'influencing the public vote/I'm not here to be a judge'. You'd think we were all on the edge of our seats waiting to hear her opinion.
Ryan seemed to be a bit bemused by the whole thing.

Johnny Logan is following a long line of crooners who think they've "still got it", despite all evidence to the contrary.

[ziggysego]

What was the story with Johnny Logan on Friday's Late Late...is he officially off his rocker now?

It's all them McDonald's he has been munching on.

[Trevor Hill]

We should send Dustin again.

[ziggysego]

No way Trevor, Father Byrne's the man we should send.

[Trevor Hill]

Its a pity Father Ted is no longer with us.