Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

San Marino is after you. If you are an inspiring artist dreaming of Eurovision (no, I don't mean you, Sasha Bobnigov but I suppose we will see you anyway...) and launches a global talent search and the winner gets a record deal and gets to represent San Marino at the Eurovision song contest 2018. It's a co-operation between SMRTV and UK based 1 in 360 Ltd, a production company. The whole idea isn't maybe all that revolutionary as they advertised beforehand as Switzerland and also Germany have tried something similar in a smaller scale before.   So, in short: record a song (preferably a cover, but original songs are welcome, too), submit it (between October 21-November 30) and then after November 1, 2017 when the entries submitted will be out in the open in www.1in360.com all you need to do is get enough likes and shares to get further or to be heard by the judges. Yes, either 100 likes or paying a fee of 4.99 euros or they won't bother (and who can blame them...

SMRTV presented its programming for the next season and the much anticipated confirmation for the participation didn't materialize, and with it naturally not the artist nor the song, as announced by some sources earlier this week.  Carlo Romeo underlined however it's important to San Marino to be there and be seen by 200 million viewers, and launched a message to all producers all over Europe to come forward and work preferably with a Sammarinese artist, as "without a producer we can't do it". With that he also left in doubt the microstate's presence in Kiev 2017 but Head of Delegation Alessandro Capicchioni had a cheeky grin behind him so .... No news is good news? Serhat was present in a video message and also Valentina Monetta's final place was remembered.

A few days ago San Marino's SMRTV reacted to the changes made by EBU to the voting presentation system, in effect from 2016 Eurovision song contest in Stockholm ( more here ). Carlo Romeo, General director of SMRTV has talked more about the affair and explained a few things. Like the fact that only 16 countries have been involved in the decision making with the EBU's Reference group in this matter in the past three years it has taken to make it. And they still haven't discussed nor informed directly the matter with San Marino, the sole sure country that this decision effects (as the other microstates Andorra, Monaco and Luxembourg stay away) as they can't most likely provide a valid televote for small number of inhabitants with Sammarinese phonecards instead of Italian ones, commonly used in the country.  Romeo confirms San Marino will take part in 2016 as this has nothing to do with the artists, and they are well prepaired with Serhat for Stockholm. The next e...

When Swed... sorry, EBU announced there will be a change in the way of presenting the votes from now on this blogger was quite pleased or at least positively curious about the change. Until I read further and came to the point where the newsletter explained how a country woud provide the televote scores should they be unable to deliver it - like every year San Marino due to the fact most everyone in the tiny Republic uses Italian phone companies. Solution? “A substitute result is calculated by the audience result of a pre-selected group  of countries. These groups and their composition have been pre-approved   by the EBU and the Reference Group" . What? Wait? Not really a celebration of democracy and transparency, is it? So San Marino's televotes will be basicly randomly calculated by who knows what criteria and delivered as the Sammarinese televotes..... So, San Marino's votes are only 50% Sammarinese compared to the other countries. Not sounding very fair, is ...

San Marino announced yesterday its represant for Stockholm 2016 Eurovision song contest. What was said and told, who he is and what the plans are. And most of all why Serhat, a Turk? Below is a round up of what was said. Besides that Serhat was asked about the Turkish return to Eurovision and he said it's up to the national broadcaster who surely has its reasons to stay away, but he hopes his participation will reactivate the fans to ask for a return and meanwhile them and Turkish press will follow him and San Marino instead. No one mentioned it aloud but everybody's of course also thinking the huge Turkish disapora all over Europe for vote for Serhat as well :-) And once again, there will be a little bit of San Marino on stage anyways.... wait and see! General director Carlo Romeo, Head of Delegation Alessandro Capicchioni and producer Marco Vannuzzi are in the studio with various journalists, including OGAE Italy's Cristina Giuntini and Alessandro Banti. Here is th...

Valentina Monetta is back in San Marino and has met the press today with her team and delegation. They have declared happy with the outcome "It couldn't have been better" after the historic qualification for the grand final on Tuesday's semifinal against all odds. Some 150 million viewers saw Valentina singing Maybe and wondering what and where is San Marino (which is not a coctail like the BBC commentator suggested but the world's oldest republic).  T he Chairman of SMRTV Luca Marcucci emphasized the undisputed artistic value of Valentina Monetta. It was a final deserved, adds the director Carlo Romeo, as it would have been last year, too. The artist has demonstrated the ability to hold the stage, great maturity and sensitivity.   Valentina, for her part, thanked those who believed in her and even herself for having responded to the strong moments of stress and tension that characterize the event  finding the peace that she needed to give her best on s...