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Germany: Will participate in Eurovision 2009
Viewing figures have dropped from 7.5 million in 2006 to 6.38 million for this year’s contest. However, this years contest achieved a strong marked share of 27.9% making the Eurovision Song Contest the most watched show in Germany on 24th May.
NDR will need to make some changes in the Germany national selection show for the 2009 contest .Thomas Herrmanns has confirmed that he will no longer host the Grand-Prix-Vorentscheid, the highly entertaining German national final show. In light of this it is understood that NDR may look to introduce changes to its selection process for 2009.
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Excellent Mina, I took a note of that. Next time will be beginning of september, I have 3 weddings to attend in Greece. 2 in Athens, 1 in Thinos. I will have a dance saterday on "My number 1"...
Keith, you know I didn't mean that about Kalomoira...lol
marc, I'm leaving for my country house tomorrow (300 km's from Athens)..maybe next time.
Hi Keith yes it's me.
Sorry guys I think I am just a bit sad and frustrated....
Mina I will be in Athens on saterday for a wedding and after that I go to a friends house in Thinos. Where do you live, maybe we could get a nice coffee together in Athens ?
@Marc X: Are you that Belgian guy living in London with a Greek partner who was very active here last year? If so, I've missed you, mate! Welcome back! 
@Vincent Barbarino: Yes, I get that every time I criticize any country outside the EU. Last year it was Turkey. I thought they got an unfair number of votes, and I criticized them for it. Suddenly I was a racist, a nazi, an anti-Muslim and what have you. People get hot-headed as soon as "their" country is criticized, apparently whichever country it is - which only goes to prove that the sense of nationality is stronger than musical merit.
@Mina: You ask where the Greek diaspora was in 2002 and 2003, but you are forgetting that not all countries were eligible to vote in the final then. That only started in 2004 onwards, so 2004 is the first year when European diaspora first showed its ugly face on a permanent, analyzable and predictable basis. After all, Cyprus could not vote for Greece if one (or neither) of them wasn't in the final.
And for the record, I totally agree with you that Kalomoira would have got plenty of votes this year no matter what country she had represented - even Germany. In fact, that is my point and I'm glad you finally see it. Greeks everywhere would still have known that she was Greek and thus voted for her in true Eurovision fashion. But I still believe this result would be due to her nationality rather than her musical competence.
Mina and Alex have good points. Marc you are mostly so wrong! abd you ignore counterargumets, mentioned by the opponents for example about jewish diaspora in europe.
Russia has definetely deserved to win. see you in Moscow - the world-class capital!
@Mina Carnarion:
I wuld not describe the only 12 points from Cyprus as a great advantage for Greece..because these are the only "secure" and predictable points for Greece nad that is not much to get very high in the scoreboard..Rmani has also the "secure" 12 pints from Romania each year, and sme other scandinavian and baltic countries too, but their placement varies a lot from year to year..i just think that the entries of Greece in the last years are very good and they manage to appeal to a cross european public and that is why i think these greek entries would have scored very well, anyway..
So i perfectly agree with the view of our friend ty..there is no secure recipe for the outcome of the ESC and that is part of the magic of this contest..
As for our another friend Kith Timmons..i think mate, you got a kind of negative obsession with Greece in the ESC..you comment negatively about it in every section..ok, we have got it..you do not like any of the Greek entries in the last years..so waht? relaax :-)
Mina, Marc and everyon else:
The beautiful and maybe the most curiousful thing about the ESC is that no one in the world, can E-V-E-R know why did one give/didn't give points to one another.
That's why you can only keep yapping about diasporas and favourites and "real" votes or even mistake votes (which you didn't think of before)...but there are just too many factors, cases, scenarios tec. who can create a winning song, and they COULD'VE come out at any time in any of the voting countries.
The recipe for a "clean" winner in ESC hasn't been created yet, so don't try to find out about it, let the internal voting process'/causes remain UNKNOWN, and don't blow all the fun out of it 
marc,
I see what you're saying, I really do. I know that those countries start with a 'disadvantage' and I know that Greece, Turkey, ex soviet countries, ex yugoslavian countries and even scandinavian countries start with the advantage of some points.
But, having gone over the esc results these last years, I've seen that if a song is really good, and appeals to many people, it won't get ignored. It just has to be liked both by the east and the west, like the Norwegian ballad this year.
But, you know, that's also true for eastern countries, I mean, Lithuania, Moldova, Slovenia, Montenegro, Estonia, Belarus, Czech Republic, Hungary, FYROM, Bulgaria didn't even make it to the final, although 10 eastern countries voted in the 1st semi and 13 in the 2nd one.
Switzerland had a good song and didn't make it...but didn't Hungary have a good song too? It's just their live performances didn't impress people much. Or San Marino...when only 2 countries out of 20 vote for it (none from them west), can you really say it was because of diaspora/neighbour voting? Same with the Netherlands. Finland, Norway, Denmark and Portugal on the other hand were voted almost by everyone and passed to the final.
Then, in the final, Serbia for example was 6th, but Croatia, with the same neighbours was 21st. Norway was 5th and Denmark, again with the same neighbours was 15th. So it's not JUST the neighbours and diaspora that rule this game.
Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland, the big four and Malta all of them had either indifferent songs that didn't appeal to either the east or the west or had good songs (France and Germany in my opinion) but VERY disappointing performances.
Would they have done better if they were eastern countries? Maybe yes, maybe not. But I don't think any of those performances would win ESC, even if they were ex soviet countries. Even before the contest none of those countries was a favourite. Sweden was but they also failed (and not because they are western).
Anyway, to sum up (I've probably given you a headache if you had the patience to read all this), I believe that eastern countries do have an advantage but it's up to them how they'll use it and if they send a song/performance catchy enough that it can receive points from all around Europe.
Western countries do have a disadvantage but it's also up to them if they choose to send a good song, good singer (a star wouldn't hurt..like I've said before, send James Blunt and there's no way you'll lose), and something that can be liked all around Europe, not only in their home country (that's what Cyprus did and it failed miserably).
The thing is Mina that countries like Belgium, Netherlands, Switserland, the big four, Malta, etc have no chance in hell anymore. These are the original countries, that made this festival to what it is right now and so it hurts, it really hurt. And no it's not just diaspora/neighbour voting, but a big part of it, is. Look if Russia already gets 7 times 12 from every neighbour, Serbia from every neighbour, Greece fron Cyprus, Bulgaria and than all the diaspora, well than a few votes left or right fron the West are enough to win it. No ? And the West did not give Russia points to win, he received a smaller votes , never topmarks, but starting with all those 12's ahead, it's impossible for other countries to get a decent result... I am angry, really angry with the EBU
I never denied it.
I just said that you can't blame everything on diaspora/neighbour voting.
Did a western country vote for an eastern country?
It HAS to be diaspora...like it's totally IMPOSSIBLE that they actually liked the song or the performer.
If I read some comments, the only REAL votes are the votes given to western countries...they have to have been voted because the song was good.
But if it's an eastern country..oh no, noone native would vote for that.
Don't you find that a little too convenient?
It's absolutely astonishing that there are STILL people who seriously deny neighbour- and diaspora-voting...
Ofcourse that could happen but it would have happened last year too. Finland gave 3 points to Russia last year. And don't tell me that diaspora just votes when they feel like it..if you vote for a flag, you vote for a flag regardless the song, right marc?
And it has nothing to do with me being Greek. Actually, me being Greek, I should protest even more than you about Russian neighbours because without those, Greece would have won.
I accept there is diaspora but it's obvious what countries are affected by it. I'll never say that the Uk or Germany for example just happened to watch the greek song and gave us 12 points.
But on the other hand I can't dismiss everything by saying it was diaspora voting.
Exactly Arne, but my friend, it's of no use because the people on this forum, belonging to one of the diaspora nations always come up with (in their eyes) a plausible explanation. Because he Greece and Armenia really really really deserved their top 5 positions.... Who are theu fooling, only themselves. And I really do hope for a split, and that they throw Greece with the Eastern European countries....
But if they all vote numerous times, lets say 10 times, then it would be half a million votes. (not saying that EVERYONE votes, that's why i used 10 instead of 20)
About 50,000 (0,9% of the population). Not enough to give such high points.
@Mina,
And how many Russians are living in Finland ? You know I am not bothered anymore, I only fear that the festival in its current format is doomed....
Listen guys I have been told that Mia Rose is going to represent Portugal in the next eurovision song contest...I´m so excited cause I love her...she is so nice...I now know that she will make some musics with other compousers and then the public will dicide wich one is the best!
Mia Rose is the stage name of Maria Antonia Sampaio Rosa, an English/Portuguese singer-songwriter who rose to fame through the popular video sharing website youtube.
I like Mia Rose, I've seen her on YouTube. Sweet girl, sweet voice. Just don't send a ballad again.
marc,
Russia got 10 points from Finland but I'm not sure if you consider Finland west.
So did Russia's.... , highest mark from the West was a 8, if I'm remembering correctly
"For me personal, Israel is the only real winner as they received votes for their song and not for the country."
-- You're joking, right? There are Jewish/Israeli diasporas throughout Europe.
"Norway aswell, although the Scandinavian bloc is since history also a huge neigbour voting centre.... "
- Norway's top marks all came from the Scandinavian block.
Greek diaspora huge? Maybe in the Uk and Germany.
By the way in 2001 we were 3rd...I wonder where that diaspora was in 2002 and 2003 when we had ended in the 17th place.
Why all those Greeks ? First of all Greek people are the niciest warmest peole in the worl, seondly I am married to a Greek... so have no other choice....
Well Mina I believe if Kalomoira would have presented Germany she probably would have got a few more points and maybe ended up 15 or 16th. But on the other hand am I convinced that Greece now got lots and lots of points only because of their huge diaspora. I explained it before and will explain it again, I had 13 Greek friends over, not interested in Eurovision, but just being together for the fun of it. They were not even listening, just japping away. After all the songs, 1 big question, what's Greece number to vote ? 13 times about 20 sms's, that already 260 votes and that 's just a little flat in London. Can you imagine all the others doing the same ? So for next year, if EBU wants to change something, I really do hope it's the 1 vote per country... That would probably already be a start and give some other fugures. For me personal, Israel is the only real winner as they received votes for their song and not for the country. Norway aswell, although the Scandinavian bloc is since history also a huge neigbour voting centre....
@Alex K Good point, I hadn't thought of that, maybe if it had been called OUZO it would have attracted the Greek-friendly vote ;-)
" but look at Malta which tried to wave the Vodka aka Russian flag and it got nowhere..."
-- Unfortunately for Malta, Russia did not even take part in the same semi-final and therefore did not have an opportunity to vote for Malta... ha ha... They could have gotten a few sympathy points with that song....
''they might get a random few points from countries who apparently only have eyes for Greece''
Do you really think that if Kalomoira with secret combination represented Germany, she would have finished last? Because I don't...and I'm not saying that because I'm greek, I really believe it.
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