Greece: ERT kicks off Eurovision 2021 preparations
The Greek national broadcaster, ERT, is speeding things up regarding the preparations for the forthcoming Eurovision Song Contest while 4 songs are reported to be on the table for Stefania.
ERT is losing no time and at the dawn of the new Eurovision season is already commencing plans and preparations for the Eurovision 2021 project . While during the summer the broadcaster’s departments for Eurovision saw significant changes in structure and faces, the first meeting has already taken place and already 4 songs seem to be on the table for the country’s hopeful, Stefania!
The Administrative changes – The Eurovision project is a woman’s case in ERT
ERT saw lately significant changes regarding the persons and which departments are now responsible for the Eurovision project through the broadcaster’s new organization chart.
Firstly came the creation of the Corporate Communication Director of ERT, a new super-management in which Dora Chiraki will be leading having under her supervision everything related to the Greek participation in the competition, but also the cooperation of ERT with the EBU.
On the other hand, the International Relations section runs now under the Department of Corporate Communication. According to the new organizing chart International Relations is responsible for planning, organizing and managing ERT’s participation in the various activities of the EBU, including the Eurovision Song Contest (Eurovision Song Contest, Young Musicians, etc.). The production and operation of the programs belongs to the co-production department.
Further on the Head of Delegation the last two years, Maria Koufopoulou , moves to the co-production department and will be collaborating with the International relations sector for any kind of production with Eurovision material.
The latest development is the new director of International Relations , Sofia Dranidou, who is replacing Maria Koufopoulou. Dranidou is no stranger to the Eurovision family as she has worked for many years in the Department of European & International Affairs of ERT’s Directorate of International Relations. She has been an active assistant of the country’s Head of Delegation, while for the last two years she was also a member of the selection committee of the Greek participation, actively participating in the selection of Katerina Duska and Stefania. Moreover the local fans know her as a true fan and follower of the contest that is committed in supporting each year’s participation.
Thus the Greek Eurovision Project lays in the hand of three female executives and if you add in the Greek Hopeful Stefania, it’s not much to say the Eurovision 2021 is a woman’s case .
Four Songs for Stefania
ERT’s core team kicked off the previous week the preparations for next year’s Eurovision song contest. The Greek national broadcaster’s executives met to put down things , to issue an overall plan for the road to Rotterdam and the time schedule that requires.
Within the framework of this session, according to local fan media, the Dream Team ( Dimitris Kontopoulos, ARCADE, Fokas Evangelinos, Ilias Kokotos) that is behind Stefania’s particiaption, is reported to have already four songs on the table for Stefania. Whether ERT will internally select one of them as the next Greek Eurovision entry or hold some kind of selection giving the audience to cast its votes remains a question.
In all cases ERT’s team along with Stefania’s creative team express clearly optimism on the nation’s appearance at the forthcoming Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam.
Greece in Eurovision
Greece made its first participation in the contest in 1974 with Marinela. Since then the country has won one time the competition, in 2005 with Helena Paparizou and her entry My number one. Since 2004 and up to 2013 the country was one of the most successful countires in the contest, having achieved 9 times a top ten placing. In 2016 it experienced its first non qualifying results since the semi final were introduced, with Argo in Stockholm.
In 2019 ERT opted for an internal selection and selected Katerine Duska to represent the country with her entry Better Love, which eventually finished 21st in Tel Aviv.
This year Stefania was internally selected to represent Greece in Eurovision 2020 with her song ‘Supergi!rl’. Unfortunately the contest was cancelled due to the covid-19 pandemic depriving the the young talented act from perform in Rotterdam. ERT has revealed that it will be continuing with Stefania in next year’s edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, giving to the young talented act the chance to complete her Eurovision journey in Rotterdam.
Source: Eurofansradio.com
cover photo: ERT
