TG4 the broadcaster behind Ireland’s Junior Eurovision 2016 participation has revealed they will show this years contest on delay.
TG4 will start their broadcast of Junior Eurovision 2016 a total of 3 hours and 30 minutes after the contest will have begun. The Irish language broadcaster will not broadcast this years contest until 18:30 local time (19:30 CET), the time slot that Junior Eurovision in previous years had begun at.
This years contest has moved both day and time slot in a bid to find a more suitable audience for the contest. All previous contest has been held on a Saturday night aimed a prime time audience, however this has meant that in a number of competing countries that the contest does not begin until late into the evening. It is hoped that by bringing the contest to a Sunday afternoon children will be more likely to watch the contest with their families.
Ireland are being represented by Zena Donnelly with the song Irish language song “Bríce ar Bhríce”. Zena was selected from a total of 32 singers from across Ireland in a selection process that last a month. Zena will be opening the final of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest on Sunday, having been drawn to perform in the first slot in the running order. Zena will be hoping she can place higher than the 12th place that Aimee Banks managed in 2015.
A total of 17 countries are set to compete in the 14th edition of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest this November in Malta. Returning to the contest this year are Cyprus, Israel and Poland. Cyprus last competed in 2014, while Israel made their only appearance to date in 2012, Poland is returning to the contest after 12 years away.
The final of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2016 takes place on November 20 at the Mediterranean Conference Center in Valletta, Malta. This years contest is open to singers aged between 9 and 14 years old.
Source: TG4
