Introducing Worldvision, the new Eurovision
When you think of the Eurovision Song Contest, what springs to mind? One thing that could be associated with this huge extravaganza is the participation of European countries. However, a number of non-European nations, such as Australia and Israel, also participate. Other non-European countries that have taken part in the past have included Turkey that mostly falls in Asian soil, with a very small part in the European region. In addition, Morocco only took part once in 1980. This shows that the Eurovision Song Contest isn’t just for countries in Europe.
Following the number of non-European nations who have now become part of the Eurovision family, it would be confusing to keep the name “Eurovision” in the title, as it’s not only European nations that compete. Therefore, it would be more appropriate for the “Euro” to be removed from the title, and then be replaced with “World”, creating “the Worldvision”. This change would cater for non-European countries, and furthermore, would enable more nations outside of Europe to join, thus expanding the contest.
Instead of hearing, “Good Evening, Europe” at the competition, viewers would hear something like, “Good Evening, World”, applying to all countries.
Nevertheless, a number of disadvantages have been discussed for the above idea. As stated by the contest’s executive supervisor Jon Ola Sand (2016), “We are not looking at a sort of ‘Worldvision’ because that’s too complicated, simply because of time zones and the different broadcasting setups in different regions. Eurovision is very much built around public service in Europe and on the strong commitment that if you win it you host it.”
Despite the above drawbacks, bringing in more non-European countries would further boost ratings. These nations would be given the exciting opportunity to share their music and language with the world, and to enjoy the live performances of their artists who would have the most amazing experience of representing their country. Moreover, it would raise profits for the EBU (European Broadcasting Union) due to an increase in the number of participants.
Another benefit would be that with more countries competing in the semi-finals, it would be very exciting for the viewers to see which of these nations qualify to the Grand Final. Additionally, it would be very intriguing to see a mixture of European and non-European nations get through, providing viewers with a diverse range of music styles in the Grand Final. It would certainly make the contest more competitive and unpredictable, although the semi-finals would last a lot longer than usual. Nonetheless, this shouldn’t be an issue, as long as viewers are kept entertained throughout the show.
What are your views on the Worldvision? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.
