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Luxembourg: RTL Lays Out Reasons Against Eurovision Return

Luxembourg City
Luxembourg lacks the finances and ability to host

Following the news that part of the Luxembourg Parliament will debate a return to Eurovision, RTL the national broadcaster of Luxembourg has laid out the reasons why they aren’t returning.

In an interview with Belgian media the Director of Programming forย RTL Luxembourg, Mrย Steve Schmit explained that it is finances that is holding RTLย back from returning. Mr Schmit explained that RTL Luxembourg is a small broadcaster that currently only produces 2 hours of programming in the evening and thus it is a stretch for the broadcaster to compete. Furthermore the broadcaster employees less than 100 individuals.

Mr Schmit went on to explain what would happen if Luxembourg were to win the contest:

For participation it’s simple, we could call upon the sponsor and there were openings at this stage, a few years ago.ย But the big risk, and it is shared by public bodies is that we can not bear the costs related to the organisation of Eurovision next year.

For RTL, Mr Schmit states they will not participateย in the contest with the rules currently as they stand. Mr Schmit did not state which rules the broadcaster has issues with. With regards to Luxembourg and their history in the contest, he added that:

I believe that (with) the enlargement of Eurovision, the days (of victory) are gone. With the new voting system, it is very unlikely that Luxembourg is successful. Small countries are somewhat more troubled now.

Luxembourg last participated in Eurovision in 1993 and has not participated in the contest since.

Source: Telepro.be

15 thoughts on “Luxembourg: RTL Lays Out Reasons Against Eurovision Return”

  1. I Don’t understand the reasons so well,but Luxembourg has More neighbors,unlike San Marino,Monaco,and Andorra.

  2. As much as I want Luxembourg to return, they are right. You see Malta 2016, yes the staging was not perfect but just 16 points? The contest needs to be fair again and if the song is amazing it should receive points. I can’t stand Sweden, Russia and Ukraine always in the top 10. It’s so unfair…

    1. Unfair? If the songs are enough good and qualifies to the top 10 you can’t call it unfair. Yes, I understand your point that some countries always get points just because it is Sweden or Russia or the Ukraine. There are many songs that would’ve done much better if they respresented Sweden, “Run Away” from 2010, “Children of the Universe” from 2014, “Say Yay!” from 2016 are only a few examples. Sweden is an overrated country, but to call it “unfair” is rather too much. “Overrated” I think is the right word.

      1. Hi ๐Ÿ™‚ What I meant is that it is unfair for other countries that the same country is always in the top 10. If it is only an instance it would be overrated, and like this the country is overrated. I hate to sound like a hater cause I really am not I just want that different countries have a shot at the top 10. Countries deserve it. I can still remember how Russia made it in 2010 with that hideous song. If it was representing another country do you think that is would have made it and made it to 15? Remember Georgia in 2014 it didn’t make it. Russia 2010 for me was of the same calibre. That’s what I meant with unfair cause it really is not. Those that you mentioned are just examples of underrated songs. You see how many times Spain has sent a good sound yet end up 10 at most. Like that 2012 song for me deserved the crown or if not cause Euphoria was great it deserved to go close at the crown. Not you get Russia 2012 who come second almost winning. I am sure it was not only related to them being grannies. It was more like Russia gets 2/3 all the time. Yet they complain and think this year’s results were unfair and they deserved the win. I hope you get my point. I am using Russia as to show the situation like Russia there are the countries you mentioned as well. Saying that there are instances of joy like Latvia 2015 <3 and this year "new" countries making it to the top 10 Belgium, Lithuania and Poland.

        1. Don’t forget Bulgaria. They are another “new” country that made it in the top 10 and the only “new” country that made it in the top 5.

        2. I agree, ๐Ÿ˜‰ it’s unfair for other countries who send good songs but never make it through the semi finals/make it into the top 10, and as a result other countries get overrated due to the neighbor voting โ€“ such as Sweden, Russia and the Ukraine.

    2. Neighbors help but I think that Malta didn’t do well this year because the song itself didn’t stand out at all. Remember in 2013, they placed in the top 10 with the televote.

      1. you’re so right .. how could I forget Bulgaria wow !! hugely underrated in 2011 I just love that song as well. Totally deserved.

        About Malta you’re right. I felt that it did not stand out that much. It lost a lot of energy from the music video and the staging, though it was thought over and it looked “rich”, was not great as I wanted. The song was a winner for me but on stage it really wasn’t. However it surely did not deserve only 16 points it was a heartbreak. Yes I remember 2013 but I think they made it that far because it filled the niche that year.

        1. I think Ira should’ve been moving around the stage more, maybe she should have taken a walk on the catwalk just to give the song itself the power we saw and heard in the music video

          1. I agree. I am not sure what should have been done but I am with you the song lost loads of power from the music video and it was sad to see. Walking down the catwalk could have worked in fact. It felt as if it was just another song on stage and it did not stand out as for televoters to vote though it was professional for juries to feel ๐Ÿ™ Good staging is important for televoters …

  3. Malta 2016 was horrible in stage performance. They did great in 2013 though.

    Everything is possible. How Ukraine is going to host the show next year and Luxembourg cannot afford? This is bullshit.

  4. Eurovision needs a bidding process like the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup that will fix many problems and make the contest more professionaly and countries dont have to worry about hosting when they dont want to host it so countries can fully bring the best they can and thus make the contest more exciting etc.

  5. Here’s why they don’t want to return.

    In Luxembourg they don’t have much of a desire to compete but Luxembourgish people do watch Eurovision on German and French TV.

    RTL is basically a news channel so they are clearly not compatible to broadcast the contest.

    He knows as well as everyone here that if they did compete they’d fail to qualify because the government and RTL will want to send a song in German, French or Luxembourgish and for it to be sung by a native Luxembourgish person.

    Luxembourg really wouldn’t win the contest again.

    However it does sound like RTL looks into the contest and observes it every year because he is aware of the new voting system. RTL is also owned by investors so perhaps some of them support the idea but they all do not agree.

  6. These are bullsh*t reasons. You know what, I just think that their interest is at 0, but pretend to take it serious. Like Sweden did with JESC. Our national final was only sent on radio, with a jury of 3 people. And they did not promote enough to make anyone know about JESC, except die-hard fans.

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