A Welsh Entry In Eurovision?

Wales Online  have produces   are part of scores of submissions to the National Assembly petitions committee – celebrated as one of its most democratic features – that have been rejected in the past three years.

It does show a natural confusion  of what  of what the Assembly has powers over might be an issue, with dozens of petitions thrown out by Assembly Members because they’re the responsibility of Westminster, local councils, 

The article tells us that One petitioner’s call for the National Assembly for Wales to put pressure on the BBC and the Eurovision Song Contest to ditch the United Kingdom entry in favour of a standalone Welsh one (along with separate English, Scottish and Northern Irish entries) fell on deaf ears.

The response from the committee was blunt, saying: “Non-devolved. Powers on broadcasting are retained at Westminster / UK Government.”

However I can see no reason that the Assembly can't call for this to happen!

Campaigners for a Welsh Eurovision entry have been boosted by statements from the European Broadcasting Union that there was nothing to stop nations within Britain that had their own national broadcasters from submitting an entry – which could be done by BBC Wales, ITV Wales and West or S4C – separate from the UK one.

Plaid Cymru Member for the European Parliament Jill Evans, who has campaigned for a separate Welsh entry in the past, said the rejection didn’t mean the death for the campaign.

“I want to see Wales on the international stage at every opportunity,” she said.
“I have proposed an independent Welsh entry to the broadcasters in the past, to no avail. As the Land of Song, we could strike a real chord internationally. No one else could do pennillion [verse] singing and the rest of Europe must be crying out for a male voice choir.
“It would be a boost for the Welsh economy, too, for Wales to host the contest and get worldwide coverage. I know that whenever I have staged a concert or exhibition in the European Parliament it has attracted a huge audience and resulted in more people wanting to visit Wales. We should go for it.

Taking into account the UK appalling record  in Eurovision Wales and  may well do far better as a separate entrant.

Not hampered by the baggage of the UK having been at war with most European Countries at some time in the past and the irritation with the BBC treating the contest as joke we might even win

Perhaps the biggest problem we would face  would be if we were to win ,and faced the huge expense in hosting the following years final.


Fans of Father Ted  will recall the episode where TEd and Dougal enter Song for Ireland  performance  when despite their appaling song , and against the evident wishes of the audience, Irish Eurosong boss Charles Hedges awards "My Lovely Horse" first place. This is apparently because he wants to guarantee Ireland lose the main competition, since Ireland has won the contest every year from 1991 to 1995 and it is too expensive for Ireland to host the competition every year

Part of the problem could be solved by  the fact that although participating broadcaster is required to broadcast the show in its entirety: including all songs, recap, voting and reprise, skipping only the interval act for advertising breaks if they wish.^] From 1999 onwards, broadcasters who wished to do so have been given the opportunity to take more advertising breaks as short, non-essential hiatuses were introduced into the program

But may be it would help to allow the host country to share advertising revenue with other broadcasters,

Indeed if the winning country were to profit from wining it may improve the quality of the performances.

But then can it be taken from the BBC and placed on commercial channel .


We may have to wait for an Independent Wales before we can truly enter this contest.