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The all events and the news concerning to hosting of the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 for May of 2004 year.

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June, 2004
01.06.2004	Well, the  Eurovision Song Contest 2004  has finished already, therefore the further news you may look at  Eurovision 2005  section.
May, 2004
29.05.2004	Irish broadcasting company  RTE  (it has been disappointed by unsuccessful performance of the Irish representative at this year - Chris Doran has taken a penultimate place) assumes to change criteria of selection of the participant of the Contest.  RTE  wants to give more attention of a choreography and show of performance, not just singing and lyrics of songs.
28.05.2004	Svante Stockselius,  EBU  сoordinator has told to website  esctoday.com  that representatives of  EBU  and representatives of Ukrainian broadcaster NTU  are going to meet within the nearest several weeks at Geneva. The questions concerning to hosting of anniversary, 50th Eurovision Song Contest 2005  will be discussed during the meeting.
27.05.2004	On the average 8,3 million person at the Great Britain looked the 49th Eurovision Song Contest 2004. It about 41,5 % of all televiewers as  BBC1  informs.   The first representative of  Ukraine on the Eurovision Song Contest, Olexander Ponomarev (who represented Ukraine at 2003) has told, that he feels pride for  Ruslana  and he is proud that he is Ukranian.
26.05.2004	According to Greek newspaper TA NEA, translation of the 49th Eurovision Song Contest 2004  has been looked by 86,7 % of televiewers at Greece. It affirms, that a principal cause of such success - Sakis Rouvas’s participation on the Contest. Also translation of  the Grand-Final of Contest on May, 15 has led to occurrence of various funny situations. In particular, the majority of the Greek night clubs and restaurants have remained this day without clients (They sat at home and looked the Contest).
24.05.2004	The photogalleries from  rehearsals, from the final rehearsal before the Qualifying Round, and from the Grand-Final of  the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 are accessible on a website  doteurovision.com.   Website  eurovisionhouse.nl  informs that Sanda Ladosi, the representative of  Romania on the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 has won the Barbara Dex Award. This prize is awarded by  eurovisionhouse.nl  for the worst scenic suit. The winner has been defined by voting of visitors of the website. Sanda Ladosi has bypassed the Tatiana Okupnik (singer of group Blue Cafe) in persistent struggle. She has collected 64 voices (the Polish singer has received 61 voice). By the way, last year’s Barbara Dex Award has been awarded to our representatives - Tatu  group.   Today, on May, 24 is birthday of  Ruslana Lyzhychko, the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2004!
23.05.2004	The information about quantity of voted persons during the Grand-Final  of  Eurovision Song Contest 2004 has been published on website  esctoday.com. It has been registered 4 267 791 voices in total.  Read more...
22.05.2004	The member of the Scottish parliament from socialists, Carolyn Leckie has declared, that Scotland should be submitted by the own participant on the Eurovision Song Contest. Madam Leckie is concerned with unsuccessful performances of representatives of the Great Britain during the Contests for the last few years. She believes that the Great Britain has compromised itself in Europe due to foreign policy of  Her Majesty’s Government, in particular, due to war in Iraq. Because of it, in opinion of madam Leckie, Europeans do not want to vote for representatives of the Great Britain. Scotland does not cause negative emotions in Europe and consequently its representatives have more chances of a victory.   According to website  esctoday.com joint French-German channel ARTE since May, 24 is going to broadcast every day the program “ Eurovision Backstage ”. This programm telling about hosting the Contest. The program will leave at 20:15 CET.
21.05.2004	According to  ITAR-TASS  , Ukraine already began to prepare for hosting the anniversary 50-th Eurovision Song Contest 2005. The prime minister of  Ukraine has ordered already to create committee on hosting the Contest. The prime-minister will head committee himself (In Turkey, by the way, the same committee was headed by minister of Tourism). The new adviser of prime-minister,  Ruslana Lyzhychko  is sure that her country can adequately carry out the Contest. The basic problem which committee have to solve - absence a hall of the big capacity and corresponding to the world standards at Kiev.
20.05.2004	The winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2004, Ruslana Lyzhychko  have been awarded a rank of the national actress at her mother-country. Other members of the Ukrainian delegation, who accepting active participation in creation of Ukrainian entry also have not been overlooked - Alexander Ksenofontov, the husband and the producer of the singer, has received a rank of the honored master of arts and director Irina Masur has received a rank of the deserved actress of Ukraine. Besides it, Ruslana Lyzhychko has been appointed by the adviser of social problems of the prime minister of Ukraine.   In spite of the fact that representatives of  Latvia, Ivo Fomins & Tomass Kleins  have not reached the final of  the Contest, the Latvian delegation has remained pleased with the Eurovision 2004.   Belgians have been very much upset with Xandee’s failure . The Head of the Belgian delegation, Steve De Coninck-De Boeck has declared, that by his opinion the winner of  the Eurovision Song Contest should be defined by the basis of voting jury (50 % of voices) and televoting (the others of 50 %). De Coninck-De Boeck believes, that televiewers are too impulsive, but the professional jury can estimate the future commercial success of acting participants more soberly.
18.05.2004	Sweden already started preparation for the following, 50-th Eurovision Song Contest 2005. Program Melodifestival 2005 is prepared to registration of participants of competition (winner of this competition becomes the representative of Sweden). It is supposed to select 32 songs for the subsequent participation in competition. The preference will be given to the songs written in the Swedish language.
17.05.2004	It is possible to look some new photo galleries: backstage photos,  photos from the “Green Room”  on website  esctoday.com.   It is possible to look new photo gallery of Ruslana, the winner of  the 49-th Eurovision Song Contest 2004 on the same website.
16.05.2004	The Grand-Final of  the 49-th Eurovision Song Contest 2004 has ended! The winner - Ukraine and Ruslana!. I can not tell, that this performance was very much pleasant to me, but all the same I congratulate Ukraine. And by the way I voted for Belgium.   See more...   All participants have already acted in the Grand-Final, now there is a voting. Belgium, Sweden, Albania and Malta have perfectly acted in my opinion. By the way, it is possible only once to vote by SMS at Russia, instead of 20.
15.05.2004	Tonight the Grand-Final of  the 49-th Eurovision Song Contest 2004 will take place. It will be carried out at Istanbul (Turkey), in Abdi Ipekçi hall. The show will be hosted by Meltem Cumbul and Korhan Abay. Contest will be broadcast more than in 40 countries. It is expected that about 200 million spectators will look the Grand-Final.    The voting procedure of  the countries in the Grand-Final was published and persons who will declare results of voting on the air are specified on website  esctoday.com.  See more...
14.05.2004	Yesterday, on May, 13  EBU  has held the press conference devoted to voting during the Qualifying Round of the Eurovision Song Contest 2004. It was been spoken at the conference about the future voting during the Grand-Final of the Contest  and about some other problems also.  See more...    Representatives of  Slovenia, participants of duet Platin - Simon & Diana - as well as it was planned earlier, have got married on May, 13 at Istanbul. It is the very first wedding which has been made on the Eurovision Song Contest. One of witnesses at ceremony was  Sertab Erener, the winner of  the last Eurovision Song Contest 2003. Newly-married couple have told to reporters, that it was very pleasant for them to get married in Turkey, and they will always remember it.
13.05.2004	According to  EBU, results of voting at the Qualifying Round which were declared earlier, inexact. The list of the countries which will participate at the Grand-Final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2004, has remained former, but points received by other countries, have changed.  See more...    The Qualifying Round of the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 was ended.   See results of  the Qualifying Round...    On May, 12  EBU  has promulgated the order of a voting procedure at the Qualifying Round.  See more...    Photos from press conference of representatives of  Sweden  and  Greece  have appeared on website  esctoday.com.    This year inhabitants of  Russia as well as inhabitants of other countries, can televote during the Grand-Final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2004.
11.05.2004	The Latvian delegation on behalf of the Latvian TV (LTV) has passed to turkish organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest symbolical “ baton ” - a part of a glass floor from a stage of the Sconto-Hall. At 2003 the similar floor has been used for the first time during hosting of the Eurovision Song Contest 2003 at Latvia. This year the most part of a stage is made with the similar floor. The Head of the Latvian delegation, Iveta Lepsoko - which has transferred this part of the floor to the winner of the Eurovision of the last year, Sertab Erener - hopes, that it now becomes tradition.   Today on a stage the first dress rehearsal of participants of the Qualifying Round of  the Contest has been carried out. Photos from rehearsal can be looked  here.
10.05.2004	At the evening on May, 9 Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism has invited all guests of  the Eurovision Song Contest to the reception organized in their honour. Photos from reception can be looked  here.   The second press conference with Julia Savicheva has been carried out at afternoon today. During the conference the female singer have been asked, what she will feel, if the result of the Final of the Eurovision Song Contest will not for Russia as good as expected. Savicheva has answered that “ I’m ready as for victory and also to fall. I will not be disappointed so much if I fail, because I believe that all that participate in the Eurovision are already a winner! ”.   Representatives of delegations of  Russia and France have addressed to French ballet master Kamel Ouali with the request to help them with the organization of act on stage of  Abdi Ipekçi.
09.05.2004	Sound recording company Polydor/Universal is going to re-release single Waterloo in honour of the 30-anniversary of a victory of group ABBA on the Eurovision Song Contest. This song has brought victory at 1974 to the group.   The first rehearsal of the representative of  Belgium - female singer Xandee - has caused the big interest both at press and at fans. Photos from rehearsal can be looked  here.   During her first rehearsal the representative of  Russia - Julia Savicheva - fulfilled more likely a choreography of performance, instead of vocal of song. Photos from rehearsal can be looked  here.   Today on a stage of  Abdi Ipekçi the first rehearsal of the representative of  France - Jonatan Cerrada - has passed also. During rehearsal the frenchmen some times changed number of acted actors. It is possible to look photos both from  rehearsal, and from the subsequent  press conference on website  esctoday.com.
08.05.2004	The representative of  Croatia, Ivan Mikulich, has celebrated today the 36-th birthday. His press-conference began from song “ Happy birthday to You ”. It is possible to look  photos  from this conference on the website  esctoday.com.   It is possible to familiarize with photos of rehearsals of  Albania,  Lithuania and  Cyprus on the same website.   On May, 9 on stage of  Abdi Ipekçi rehearsals of representatives of countries - participants of the of the Grand Final of the Contest  will be carried out. It will representatives of  Spain, Austria, Norway, France, Germany, Belgium, Russia, Iceland, Ireland, Poland, the Great Britain, Turkey, Romania and Sweden.
07.05.2004	Yesterday, on May, 6 on Russian  MTV-channel in the program “ 12 spiteful spectators ” has been shown videoclip  Wild Dances  of representative of  Ukraine - female singer Ruslana. It has been scarified and practically unanimously (one “spectator” has refrained) have recognized as the worse videoclip.   On May, 6 the representative of  Belgium, female singer Xandee has carried out presentation of  her first solo album “ 1 Life ”. On May, 8 the Belgian delegation should arrive to Istanbul.   Some more  photos of  female singer  Ruslana  has appeared on website  esctoday.com.
06.05.2004	According to website  esctoday.com, one more broadcasting company has refused to broadcast Qualifying Round of  the Eurovision Song Contest 2004. It wallonian company RTBF (Wallonia is one of two areas of  Belgium). Nevertheless, EBU allow to Belgians to take part in voting in Qualifying Round because the broadcasting company from other area of  Belgium - Flemish VRT - will broadcast Qualifying Round both at Wallonia and at Flanders, that is across all Belgium.    On May, 6 rehearsals on stage of  Abdi Ipekçi  will be continued. Lithuania, Albania, Cyprus, Macedonia, Slovenia, Croatia, Estonia, Denmark, Serbia & Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and also Netherlands will take part in them.    It is possible to familiarize with photos from rehearsals of  Cyprus,  Denmark,  Serbia & Montenegro,  Bosnia & Herzegovina,  Netherlands,  Macedonia on website  esctoday.com.
05.05.2004	It is expected that 1518 journalists will be accredited on the Eurovision Song Contest 2004.    On May, 5, on the their press-conference, representatives of  Latvia have told, that the main thing in the Eurovision Song Contest is participation, not a victory. Gold words, in my opinion. It is a pity, that in some countries (at Russia, for example) some people do not understand that. By the way, Latvians want to record their song on all European languages.    On May, 5 the first rehearsals on stage of  Abdi Ipekçi should take place. Finland, Belarus, Switzerland, Latvia, Israel, Andorra, Portugal, Malta, Monaco, Greece and Ukraine will take part in them.    On the website  esctoday.com  the first photos from rehearsals of  Switzerland,  Israel,  Portugal,  Greece  and  Ukraina  have appeared.    During rehearsal of representatives of  Ukraine - female singer Ruslana  and dancers - on stage of  Abdi Ipekçi actors have managed to damage a glass floor on which they acted. Wild people, children of mountains ;-). A joke. Rehearsal, certainly, was stopped. Fortunately, it was final rehearsal. Now organizers of the Contest are excited with a question, whether there will be the same during Qualifying Round? On press-conference which has passed later, ukranians have made public apologies.
03.05.2004	On Tuesday, May, 4 the Ukrainian delegation arrives to Istanbul.    The delegation of  Malta also arrives to Istanbul on May, 4. Already at next day  Julie & Ludwig  will take part in rehearsal on stage of  Abdi Ipekçi.    According to a website esctoday.com  the representative of  France - Jonatan Cerrada - will appear on stage together with four back-vocalists (three women and one man) and with one dancer.    On May, 10 France and Monaco are going to organize joint reception at Istanbul. This year only representatives of these two countries will sing in French.