CZECH REPUBLIC goes for internal selection
The Czechs, having an enthusiastic new Head of Delegation, are planning for internal selection. Last year their song failed to qualify from the Semi-final. However it did give the Czech Republic their best score and placed 13th with 33 points.
Czech broadcaster Ceska Televize (CT) recently introduced their new head of delegation – Jan Bors, who has experience with many events and TV shows in the Czech Republic. Jan Bors sees Eurovision as a great opportunity. He says that it is one of the most prestigious television projects worldwide. He notes that Eurovision in Vienna was a high quality production with perfect performances and he is expecting the same from Stockholm.
He knows that it is difficult for every country to find the right song and the right singer, but his job will be to present a competitive song to the public. He says that it will be hard to reach the same success that the Czech Republic had this year and even make it better, but he emphasises that it is not impossible.
Selection Process
Jan says that the Czech Republic’s experience this year showed what is needed to choose the right song and representatives. This year they will do the same and make their choice internally. He confirms that composers are already sending their songs to the broadcaster, which shows that there is interest in Eurovision in the Czech Republic. Now they are hoping that they will be able to make the right decision.
The Czech Republic has competed at the Eurovision Song Contest four times, first taking part in 2007. On all four attempts the country failed to qualify to the final from the semi-finals, placing in the bottom two in the first three attempts.
After receiving nul points at the 2009 Contest and a lack of interest from the Czech public, ČT decided to withdraw from future contests. Five years later ČT announced their return to the contest in 2015, with an internal selection being used to select their fourth Eurovision entry.
As of 2015, the Czech Republic is one of only two countries, along with Andorra, to have participated in the contest and never to have featured in the final, so far. Two more countries, Slovakia and Monaco, have never qualified from the semi-finals, but participated in Eurovision before 2004 when the semi-finals were introduced.
SOURCE: WIWIBLOGGS
