The list of countries that have officially confirmed their participation in Eurovision Song Contest 2013 is slowly filling in with new names, so more and more fans keep wondering if Poland comes back and sends s representative for Eurovision Song Contest 2013 in Sweden. Unfortunately, so far we cannot inform what the decision of the Polish National Broadcaster, TVP, is, because such a decision hasn’t been made yet. We only know that the people who are responsible for Eurovision at TVP are currently considering the future of Poland in the contest. To help our broadcaster, the management board of OGAE Poland created and sent a special letter in which they include all pros of a comeback to Eurovision in 2013.
As the secretary of OGAE Poland informed, the official correspondence was addressed to Mr Piotr Radziszewski – the president of TVP1 channel, but it was also sent in attention of Ministry of Culture, the National Broadcasting Council (in Polish Krajowa Rada Radiofonii i Telewizji), the president of TVP SA and the Program Council of TVP. Below, you can read the content of the letter:
Concerned about the active participation of Telewizja Polska in next year’s Eurovision Song Contest 2013 that will be organised by our neighbours, Sweden, we are sending the following letter in which we include arguments for a comeback of a Polish song to the biggest European music event.
Unfortunately, Poland did not take part in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest. Because of this, viewers in Poland were unable to take part (neither passively nor actively – by voting) in this music event organised by the European Broadcasting Union for public broadcasters. It has happened for the first time in many decades.
Telewizja Polska stated that the absence was connected to the involvement in the European Football Championships 2012 Project in Poland and Ukraine and Olympic Games 2012. Such information was published in January 2012 in official press information of the European Broadcasting Union and was repeated in May during a press conference of the national broadcasters in the host city of Eurovision 2012 – Baku. While the event was being broadcast, many commentators of this year’s contest told their viewers that this was the official reason for the withdrawal of Poland, adding that next year Europe would probably hear a Polish song on the Eurovision stage, because in 2013 Poland would not host any European Championships in Football.
As we know, our sportsmen do not have a lot of great success in international events. Still, no one even thinks about resigning from any kind of European/World Championships or Olympic Games. Eurovision Song Contest is in many cases referred to as the Musical Olympics of Europe – and because of this we think that we cannot stay out of it.
In 2012 fans of sports experienced a lot of emotions while they could watch multi-hour broadcasts of EURO 2012 or Olympic Games in London. However we must notice that viewers of TVP are not only sport fans. They are also fans of music and entertainment events. They do not criticize broadcasting of sport event, but also want to see programs that are fulfilling their needs. Many of them refer to Eurovision Song Contest, which has rich history and is an important event for the whole continent.
We think that Poland, a member of the European Union and a country of a population of 40 million, whose citizens left their marks on the cards of history (also the musical one), cannot just resign from participating in this event, which is popular worldwide. Eurovision is a TV-project watched by over 100 million of people worldwide. Almost every country on our continent celebrates, shows and makes viewers familiar with their national artists, and a big country lying in the centre of Europe is an exception. A country that is a home of many great artists and amazing culture that we should popularize in Europe. The Eurovision Song Contest is a great occasion for presenting our composers, authors of lyrics, singers and groups. It is also an excellent way of promoting our country as a whole.
Taking part in Eurovision Song Contest, that in the past was an unattainable goal for Poland, today is a privilege of a sovereign nation of Poland that has its own music, culture and tradition. It is a privilege we should all use to present ourselves in a better way.
The Eurovision Song Contest is a phenomenal TV-product, which constantly changes and updates itself to meet current standards in popular music. The winner of this year’s contest, the Swedish singer Loreen, won the national final of Swedish public broadcaster, SVT. She received over 160 000 votes, leaving other rivals far behind. In the final in Baku she was also a clear winner. With 372 points she got the Grand Prix of the contest. A total of 18 countries gave her the maximum note – twelve points. “Euphoria” received also two special prizes: the awards of composers and commentators.
Europe caught the mentioned euphoria very fast. In just few months, Loreen’s Eurovision song has become a big hit promoted by almost every single radio and TV station. The Swedish singer has visited many countries and performed for millions of viewers worldwide. The song has rapidly climbed to the top of the music charts, including Poland (for example: in Radio ZET and RMF FM) and the United Kingdom, where she reached 3rd place in national charts (it is the highest position in official charts reached by a Eurovision representative from outside United Kingdom since Johny Loggan’s entry in 1987). This year Eurovision Song Contest has shown the potential that can be used not only by artists and authors but also by the national broadcasters in Europe, which take part in it.
The problem of finding certain amount of funds for participation, comparing to the amount of funds that are used for sport in TVP, is actually not a problem. It is rather an act of a good will and an understanding of the arguments of Polish fans of Eurovision.
OGAE Poland, being a member of the international organisation of Eurovision Song Contest fans in the whole world, offers their knowledge and help in choosing a Polish song or in preparations for Eurovision 2013 which, what we should not forget, is organised by the country with which Poland shares a maritime border.
With this letter we want to ask for making a fast decision about a comeback of TVP and Poland to the Eurovision Song Contest and starting preparations desired to choose a good Polish representative, who will sing for the whole Poland in Swedish Malmö in May 2013.
We would like to remind that TVP informed about resignation from participating in Eurovision 2012 in December 2011. The initial information, which we have got from spokesman of TVP, suggested that the decision would be made by the end of October this year, but right now we know that this information was not real. Eurowizja.org’s editorial office hopes that very soon, as the first ones, we would bring you information that Poland is back to Eurovision 2013.