ESC in Vienna: ORF Expects 16 Million Euros in Net Costs
Hosting the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna is not cheap for the ORF. ORF Director General Roland Weißmann estimates net costs of around 16 million euros. He said this on Thursday at a meeting of the ORF Audience Council. This is slightly above the costs from a decade ago when the major event was last held in Vienna, Weißmann emphasized once again: They want to proceed economically but still guarantee a spectacular show.
City allocates 22.6 million euros for ESC hosting
The city of Vienna is digging even deeper into its pockets than the ORF. It allocates 22.6 million euros for hosting the ESC. In 2015, the city's share was 17 million euros. Mayor Michael Ludwig (SPÖ) considers it a good investment, as the added value is likely to be significantly higher.
The occupancy of the Wiener Stadthalle will take place at the end of March, according to the documents for the "Road to ESC 2026". The two semifinals are known to take place on May 12 and 14, with the final on May 16.
Possible participation of Israel a topic before ESC in Vienna
Recently, announcements from several broadcasters from countries like Spain, Ireland, and the Netherlands caused a stir. They do not want to participate in the ESC 2026 if Israel is not excluded due to the Gaza war. ORF Chief Weißmann had spoken in favor of Israel's participation and received backing from the ORF Foundation Council.
On Thursday, Weißmann clarified that it is not countries, but public broadcasters that participate in the ESC - in Israel, Kan. "Kan is indeed very critical of the Israeli government. The broadcaster is not suspected of conducting government propaganda," Weißmann stated. This point must be considered in the debate.
An EBU official is currently traveling through Europe - he is expected at ORF next week - to listen to the positions of public media houses. By December, each broadcaster must announce whether they will participate in the ESC 2026 or not.
Meanwhile, German CDU politician Steffen Bilger sees the boycott threats against Israel as an expression of a growing anti-Semitic sentiment in Europe and questions Germany's participation, according to dpa. "I think if Israel is excluded, then we can no longer be part of it, quite clearly," Bilger said in the RTL/ntv "Frühstart". The politician is a member of the CDU federal executive board and the First Parliamentary Secretary of the Union faction in the Bundestag.
400,000 Views Through Video with JJ
ORF wants to use the ESC as a "catalyst for new digital storytelling" in any case. Recently, this has already worked very well, said Weißmann. A video featuring JJ playing music with the ORF Radio Symphony Orchestra (RSO) brought ORF 400,000 views on Instagram. "One of the most successful videos," the ORF chief expressed satisfaction.
(APA/Red)
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