Christer Björkman has revealed more details about the planned American Song Contest, the US offshot of the Eurovision Song Contest.
Christer Björkman who is working on the American Song Contest, has revealed new details regarding the competition and how it will work. Speaking to the Swedish broadcast SVT, Mr Björkman explained that the show will be something different for the American market:
We use a lot of the same theories as in Sweden, Melodifestivalen. It should be a mix of new star shots and established artists. Just that it’s new music is brand new to them, because all the other formats are covers.
Christer feels that formats like American Idol are getting old and watered down, which leaves a place for new music from the American Song Contest.
Up to this point it was not known whether cities in the US would be competing or if it would be states vs other states. Christer explained that it will be states competing:
About that, yes. What is interesting is that the states usually have a pretty clear musical identity, and the neighboring states as well. We will get a genre spread a little automatically.
Plans to find a broadcaster for the competition are in full swing, with meetings planned for the start of next year:
In the winter, hopefully after Melodifestivalen, we will start to meet different broadcasters. Looking forward to next summer, I think we will know if it will get broadcast and in what way.
The American Song Contest is planned to start in 2021, with the contest being created by a Swedish production company.
Eurovision in the USA
In 2006 ahead of the 51st edition of the Eurovision Song Contest in Athens, Greece it was announced that NBC had secured the rights to a Eurovision Song Contest for the United States.
After the initial media reports in February 2006 talk about the contest dried up. The Production company Reveille now known as Endemol Shine North America released no further information about the contest. Reports continued on the contest from various media outlets about the contest including Metro who reported the contest would be a multi-week event.
Source: SVT
