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7 % cut in the budget
Estonia: Oslo participation is in serious danger
Margus Allikmaa, the CEO for ERR says that as most European broadcasters now face serious economic difficulties, coming at first place at the Eurovision Song Contest no longer is a victory. He says both the Norwegian broadcaster NRK and the winner of 2010 will find it hard to find the financing for the contest. Winning the contest would place an impossible burden on the Estonian broadcaster to organise the following year's contest in the current economic climate. ERR is only financed by a government grant and receives no licence fee or has no advertising, the only public broadcaster of its kind in the EU.
ERR has to save 28 million krooni (almost 1.8 million Euro), or 7 % of the total budget. Personally I think canceling Eurovision participation is the easiest option, Mr Allikmaa says. We know that it is a very popular show in Estonia, and the ratings we get are good, but staying at home for one year would not change anything, he says. The broadcaster may also choose to organise the Estonian Song Contest, Eesti laul, but still not take part in the Oslo contest. ERR also wants to maintain news, community, children's and sports programming, so entertainment will be the one to suffer according to Allikmaa. Also the broadcaster is not going to withdraw from broadcasting major sports events like the Olympic Games of Football World Cup next year.
Heidy Purga, the Radio 2 chief and Eurovision Song Contest manager tells Postimees that no discussions have been had about cuts yet. She expects the discussions to happen very soon, though. Mr Allikmaa also says no final decisions have been taken, but there will have to be some cuts announced in the coming weeks, including cutting salaries and programming. Eesti laul and participation in the Eurovision Song Contest cost ERR 3.5 million krooni (223700 Euro).
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estonia 4ever! My neighbour country make AMAZING music!!! greetings from Latvia
Lots of people seem to have trouble affording to participate in Eurovision the last 2 years including 2010. The EBU should just make it cheaper and reduce NRK's budget to organise the event accordingly. I hope Estonia don't withdraw, they finally sent a fantastic entry this year and I hope they continue to do so.
Don't Withdraw 
Answer to Krisztián Tichler: Indeed! MTV prefer to withdraw in 2010 because of small budget, and EBU will still not help Austria, Luxembourg, San Marino, Monaco, Andorra, Czech Rep. for their request if they would like to take part… So why EBU did it for Hungary?
I hope they can participate.
some years ago, and I don't speak about ages ago, NONE of the countries decided befor february. Since Albania entered, they became first, as their traditional song festival is in december. Nowadays, we are tooooooo impatient. Modern media pushing too much. Let's wait and see, the official a date of inscription as still far, and the last date to announce singer and song is mid-march, so keep cool
I've just made a comparison based on the English Wikipedia: last year, on 4th October, there were 31 countries confirming participation (Greece and Netherlands had picked their artists in addition) while this year only 25 countries have done the same (and none of them has still picked the artist).
Would be a shame if Estonia had to miss a year, especially as they did so well last year
Moscow 2009 is the Beijing 2008 of Eurovision- Huge, spectacular, but very hard to match, let alone beat.
In the next coming years, perhaps it will be sensible to downsize the Contest- slightly smaller arenas and simpiler stages. Since 2003 the stages have been very screen/backdrop reliant, and whilst Moscow had very spectacular visuals, perhaps we could go back to a simpler stage, like 1998.
As for Estonia, whilst they have had a very mixed quality record this decade (2009 was the BEST), it would be a shame to see them left behind
It's more a matter of pressure on EBU about current high costs of participation. ESC reached a peak of costs in Moscow that many broadcasters fear to be a standard for the future.
I hope EBU could grant a cut of fees in order to guarantee a minimum of 40 countries for Oslo. Less than 35 countries would mean that ESC 2010 would be a big failure, even if the organization is successful.
It sounds like the story we have with the IBA every year. But on IBA's case they always threaten not to participate in the ESC, as a measure of pressure to get a little bit more budjet. What is annoying in IBA's attitude, which became a permanent habbit in the last 10 years, is that it brings us every year to a point where Israel's entry process is being decided at the very last minute, and hence the result is well known (with the exception of 2005 and 2008)
@Zohar: Hungary is doing mostly internal selection or very very low budget NF's for years.
In my opinion Estonia will find enough money to participate at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2009.
And if you want to hear more about Urban Symphony, then http://www.urbansymphony.eu is the right decision for you!
Many people are proposing for poor countries not to arrange a national selection, and save the money for a eurovision participation. I won't take a stand on that issue this way or that way, but I want to add to your information.
A broadcaster spending money on a national final is producing an original tv-production, something that many broadcasters are required to do by-law. It's part of their government sponsorship/grants or licensing agreements etc etc etc. Sometimes, it's easier for a broadcaster to arrange a music-festival (national final) but NOT fund a participate in ESC for a 3 minute show.
I am not professional to give you precise details, but that is an issue too.
Well, my friends...it is RECESSION (as they said, at least.....) so don't wonder if there will be more news like this......that's the situation we have now....I wouldn't be surprised even if my country would bring the decision not to perform in 2010...but I don't know if it will happen.
Personal i didnt saw any mega show in Russia.
NRK is not forced to do a mega show as Russia did with state money. Estonia and Latvia showed us, that smaller shows and small TV-stations can be very good, too. And EBU members can save a lot of money in chosing the country's best singers and songs internally. No need to have 20 semi-finals... the most of the money is spend during the national selections and not in the very final. Let's come back to song festival and not show festival
I AGREE WITH THE IDEA OF GETTING RIDD OF THE JESC AND DANCE CONTEST. BOTH OF THEM , ARE A WASTE OF GOOD MONEY .
@Glen Bartlett, EBU in each metting make a short vacations, we saw it on September in Oslo . Did they discuss anything there? They just visit Arena and they discuss one hour ( maybe less ) for Azerbaijan issue ( and final didnt do anything ), the rest time was spending with EBU money in Norwegian capital for shopping and clubbing 
They have many serious things to discuss like 50/50 voting in semifinal, EBU fees etc but complete ignore that things. So if now many countries want to witdraw for any reason i dont blame them.
Eurovision fans, we must remember,
Every year we have the same stories about countries withdrawing, when they never do.
And oaky, everyone knows there'sa recession going on, but the EBU will be able to avoid this, and cut the budget of the Eurovision Song Contest etc.
little mistake .... http://urbansymphony.eu/
if there is anyone ,who is interested in Urban symphony -
urbansymphony.eu
I'm afraid the story will be similar with Hungary. The goverment plan a 25% cut on MTV's 2010 budget.
Why not a cut on fees and making a smaller show in 2010?
Estonia was AMAZING in this years Eurovision!
I really hope they find a way to enter in the 2010 competition!
Estionia is really a beautiful country with a beautiful language, and they added a wonderful song to this years line up.
noone has complained about the EBU fee .
Please stop jesc the rubbish.It's a real crap.Nobody here watch it.
I'd personally like to see Estonia back in Oslo... one of the only countries in ESC I liked through the years!
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