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Semi finals aired
Austria: Confirmed - Only the voting will be broadcast live
The complete schedule:
| Wednesday, 13th May | 00:40 CET | First semi final |
| Friday, 15th May | 00:20 CET | Second semi final |
| Saturday, 16th May | 20:15 CET | Song presentation |
| Saturday, 16th May | 23:00 CET | Voting of the Eurovison Song Contest 2009 |
| Sunday, 17th May | 00:20 CET | Eurovision Song Contest 2009 |
The commentator for both semi finals and the final will be Ö3 radio presenter Benny Hörtnagl.
Austria withdrew from the Eurovision Song Contest in in 2006 and again in 2008 and 2009 after a short comeback in 2007. Having debuted in 1957, the country took the victory only once in 1966 and has finished outside the top four ever since.
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Typical ORF! Bloody useless! Könnts ihr nicht EINMAL was richtiges machen, echt.
Thank God NDR and ARD are showing everything live...
@Axel
Thanks for reminding me of those, although I never really liked them that much. I was actually referring to that song Get a Life from 2007. It scored really bad, but I loved it! 
I guess showing the ESC semis beats showing informercials or whatever is normally shown @ midnight. I'm not sure why they wouldn't show the contest live as opposed to the song presentation ... if they're trying to make a point about predictable voting, they're a year too late IMO.
Jonny
That parody was hilarious 
As I said below Austria gave only 1 pt to Germany the year Nicole won 
I know Corey, I even bought some cd's of her afterwards. I still do not understands why such a neautiful song did not even received 5 points.... Also the lyrics of that song are increadibly beautiful, like poetry, but no as always they went for a little girl, with a awful tacky song..... It's a shame really....
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Jonny:
About 2010... well, I'm not sure, there's nothing in the rules that I have that mention a requirement for broadcasters to have broadcast the contest the previous year. I certainly know this rule existed. Maybe they removed that rule to make persuading some countries to return easier? I have a feeling that the EBU would allow ORF back if they asked them nicely. Is the contest broadcast live in Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco and San Marino?
The thing is, because Eurovision is cheap entertainment, especially when you're not in it... ORF feels free to play around with it, and I guess they figure no-one will care? I agree that it doesn't make any sense, but then again, lots of things don't make sense to me, that make perfect sense to someone else... Maybe someone from Austria can ask ORF for us? lol
Timna Brauer's talents didn't extend to singing Die Zeit ist Einsam live. It's a nice song, I like it (although, the song crescendo's, then collapses to nothing, which is probably why it did badly in the voting). I liked Nur Ein Lied, Warum nur Warum, Merci Cherie, and even Alf in 2004 to name a few.
Axel, at last someone else who recognises the talent of Timna Brauer & Die Zeit Ist Einzam from Austria 1986.Listen to her Israeli recordings from 1990s and then one can hear how good she sounds.Makes Secret Garden and Emma(to quote Gina G. ) Quinn sound amateur.
Although I see your point now, w s and chris. Admittedly if ORF were to take part now their viewing figures would be rather shocking and nobody would watch, but the thing that gets me is how stupid their broadcasting plans here are. OK i'm pleased they're showing the semis at all, thats good of them But then their plans for the final!? They're going to end up broadcasting about 6 hours of eurovision material for the final, the song presentation which lasts 1:45, the voting which should last about an hour, and then the actual contest all over again which takes about 3:15!! When they could just show the contest live, and only use 3:15 hours of broadcasting time! What they're doing is confusing, strange, and downright weird!!
I think also by doing this, they're cementing their withdrawal in 2010. Because to take part don't you need to have shown the entire contest live the previous year? And obv. they're not doing it this year, so they won't comply for 2010 
"but why try and push an elephant up a set of stairs?"
Because despite the fact it would be near impossible, it would be bloody hilarious
w s makes good points. ORF is a public broadcaster, and is supposed to do what the public want, and I think the public interest in Austria is lower than a cellar. Maybe ORF could try and change that, but why try and push an elephant up a set of stairs?
Austria has sent many good entries, in my opinion, but everyone is entitled to their own view.
Why is everyone making a lot of fuss about this? The Austrians probably don't care about this decision. If they want to watch the contest they can always tune in to ARD. But in reality the Austrians don't care, and they certainly won't understand this debate here on esctoday. Eurovision is probably as relevant to them as the worldchampionships snooker or cricket. The country has competed since the first contest in 1956, they won once in 1966 and they stayed in the contest till 2007 despite some really bad results. I don't call that a losermentality. They stayed in the contest and finally had to admit that the interest of the public became zero.
interesting clip . you know what they say .... " many a true word is said in jest "
lmao watch this, it kinda reflects ORF's views http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=j2Q0QjlPrrg
What exactly do they mean by "Song presentation"? If thats just them presenting the songs ie showing the videos etc surely its easier just to show the actual contest there and then, instead of doing a "song presentation" and then showing the contest after the voting.
Its obvious ORF is trying to show how corrupt the voting apparently is, and how all the eastern countries are going to rule etc etc and then that will allow them to say "eurovision is corrupt" and then they dont have to enter in 2010 etc etc, ORF YOU DOUCHE BAGS!!
Poppy there were some very good Austraian entries :
All to you (The Rounder girls 2000), Reflection (Bobby Singer 1999), Zusammen gehe'n ( Tony Wegas 1992), Nur ein lied (Thomas Forstner 1989), Nur noch gefuhl (Gary Lux 1987), Die zeit ist einzam ( Timna Brauer 1986), Heute in Jeruzalem (Christina Simon 1979), Mrs Caoline Robinson (Springtime 1978), My little world (Waterloo & Robinson 1976), ..... best ever for me must be Die zeit ist einzam.... Such a great song, and so undeserved low placing...
Benny Hörtnagl
Sounds scary. Don't mess with the Hurt Nail!!
I'm glad some of you can actually recall some good songs Austria sent in the past. I cannot.
Although there was one song a few years ago, 2007 I think it was ... that cute guy on stage, he had a good song, if I'm not wrong about the year. Blah, can't remember either his name or the song title. That good it was, I guess
Well, this is very unprofessional, if you ask me. They're behaving like kids really. Why doesn't Austria send a quality song instead of complaining about bad results? It's so easy to blame it all on the voting system and avoid to take a look at your own faults.
I don't even call it strange....it's sad. So the people can not watch the songs but they can watch the voting ???? Hello.....
Austria come back!
ORF...either act like a normal broadcaster or just leave! This is like a little child having a sulk. I feel sorry for Austrian fans being messed with like this. ORF = bad joke.
strange...quite strange
I really don't understand the fact that they'll broadcast song presentations instead of actual contest. WTF???
I feel sorry for the Austrians who don't get to see their country in Eurovision anymore.
This is the most IDIOTIC thing to do: broadcast the voting live and show the songs later on. Not only does it demonstrate the STUPIDITY of the people in charge of Austrian television, but it also explains why they've been taking their poor results so badly in recent years. To them, this whole thing is just about the voting and how many points your country gets, when in fact Eurovision should be promoted as a spectacular entertainment show with fun songs to watch. I'd say the Eurovision doesn't need pathetic countries like Austria: GOOD RIDDANCE!
This thing is usual on TVE, I never thought that there is any tv like them, but, now I don't know what to say
Who cares?....quitters!!!!!!
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