Press release from SBS
SBS will utilise all its media platforms to cover this month’s 55th Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo, Norway, with a dedicated digital radio channel, broad online coverage and twitter feeds, television broadcasts from the event and a specially-produced three-CD set of Eurovision hits.
SBS Digital Radio 6 has been renamed SBS Eurovision and will be dedicated to playing Eurovision classics until June 11. The channel will also simulcast the final event alongside SBS ONE. On SBS ONE, Rockwiz host Julia Zemiro and ADbc’s Sam Pang will present the contest via four major broadcasts.
Eurovision A to Z will feature iconic Eurovision acts including Abba and Gina G and includes appearances by special guests Les Murray, Meow Meow, Gina G, Bjorn Again and three-time Eurovision winner Johnny Logan. The pair will then fly to Oslo to bring all the glitz and glamour of the event to television for the two semi-finals and the final contest.
SBS will host a live twitter feed at twitter.com/sbseurovision during the contest and SBS Online will host a dedicated Eurovision vertical (sbs.com.au/eurovision) to feature:
• Guides to all the competitors
• Every performance from both semi finals and final
• Full episode catch up
• Video extras from the hosts in Oslo.
• Live audience voting to reveal Australia's unofficial Eurovision favourite and a
live chat to accompany the TV broadcasts
• A guide to hosting the greatest Eurovision party with Frankie Magazine’s Daniel
Evans.
• Daily blogs from TV Tonight's David Knox
And finally, SBS Music has capitalised on the collectability of the popular global event to produce a new three-CD set of retrospective Eurovision song favourites from the 50s to today, featuring Olivia Newton-John, Cliff Richard, ABBA, Gina G and more. The CD will be available from the SBS Shop online and from SBS’s partner retailers Dymocks and JB HiFi from May 21.
SBS first introduced The Eurovision Song Contest to Australian television audiences 27 years ago. The contest is viewed by more than 100 million people around the globe and in most European countries holds the record for the longest running program on television.
SBS ONE broadcasts are scheduled for the following times:
• Eurovision A to Z – Saturday May 22 at 8.30pm
• Semi-final 1 – Friday May 28 at 7.30pm
• Semi-final 2 – Saturday May 29 at 7.30pm
• Final – Sunday May 30 at 7.30pm
For further information about SBS Eurovision radio, go to www.sbs.com.au/radio and to view Eurovision online go to ttp://www.sbs.com.au/eurovision.
The Very Best of Eurovision Song Contest will be available for purchase from at www.sbs.com.au/shop.