According to reports, the ESC preliminary decision will no longer be hosted by NDR in 2025.
Year after year, Germany fails at the ESC – the NDR, which is responsible for the German preliminary decision in the Eurovision Song Contest, is also to blame for this. Now the consequences are apparently being drawn: according to rumors, the MDR will be in charge from 2025.
Those in charge at NDR have to admit to themselves: Even with new concepts, everything stayed the same every year, the German ESC participants were hardly able to convince anyone of their worth on the European stages because NDR noticeably lacked courage and creativity. As “Bild” has now learned, those responsible for ARD are said to have made the decision to entrust the more music-oriented broadcaster MDR with organizing the ESC preliminary round. MDR entertainment boss Peter Dreckmann also acts as ARD music coordinator. The change was apparently even greeted with relief at NDR.
ESC preliminary decision 2024: This year the NDR is still in charge
The fact that the NDR will continue to be responsible for organizing the ESC preliminary round in 2024 is said to be due to the fact that the MDR’s financing was not initially secured. Although there are options for special financing for certain broadcast formats, this would first have to be approved by the MDR program directors, which probably did not happen in time. The preliminary decision is expected to cost two million euros and the MDR currently has to pay attention to its expenses anyway. Florian Silbereisen also felt this – the red pencil was also applied to his hit shows.
Neither NDR nor MDR spokesmen wanted to deny this at this point. Those responsible said to “Bild”: “Statements about the future belong in the realm of speculation” and “this is currently not an issue for the MDR.” This still leaves open how and where the preliminary decision of the Eurovision Song Contest will take place in the future, but it doesn’t put the rumors to rest either.
It is also unclear whether Barbara Schöneberger will continue to be booked as a presenter for the preliminary decision show in 2025. At MDR, Florian Silbereisen is considered the “best horse in the stable” – at least when it comes to the station’s music shows.