Eurovision boss Martin Österdahl to step down after overseeing recent controversial contests

The Journal

a day ago

EUROVISION SUPREMO MARTIN Österdahl is stepping down from his role after five years.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) announced that the song contest's Executive Supervisor will leave his position this summer.
It comes after Österdahl bore the brunt of criticism for the
controversies that plagued the competition in Malmö last year
, which was marked by protests and backlash as a result of Israel's inclusion.
The EBU said Österdahl has managed 'a period of remarkable innovation and resilience in the Contest's history', including the staging of Eurovision in Rotterdam during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021 and the hosting of the contest in Liverpool in 2023 on behalf of Ukraine who won the previous year.
'Under his leadership, the Eurovision Song Contest has implemented changes to modernize the Contest and extend its reach – including advancing digital engagement and deepening its commitment to inclusivity and creativity across Europe and beyond – ensuring the event has continued to grow in popularity and relevance.'
Österdahl was the face of the EBU, which oversees the annual music contest. During the live broadcast, the presenters will go to him to confirm that the public voting results have been verified, with him then delivering the signature line 'you're good to go'.
In Malmö last year, contestants accused the Israeli delegation of filming them and posting clips on social media without their permission in the days before the final.
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The Israeli national broadcaster later claimed that its team at the contest had been subjected to 'an unprecedented display of hatred' from other delegations and entrants.
The Dutch act Joost Klein was expelled from the contest, after a female camera operator accused him of threatening behaviour during rehearsals.
Swedish prosecutors said later
that there was no case for him to answer and no proof the gesture he had made towards the staff member 'was capable of causing serious fear'.
Österdahl was loudly booed several times during the live broadcast of the final.
New guidelines were introduced
for this year's contest in a bid to avoid the controversy seen in Malmö. However, Israel's inclusion was still a source of contention for many amid the ongoing war in Gaza, with many calling for the competition to be boycotted.
Israel ranked 14th after the jury vote and
ended up coming second to Austria after the audience votes were included.
The EBU
later said
it would look at 'the promotion of acts by their delegations and associated parties', after an independent news branch of the EBU
published a report which found that an Israeli government agency paid for adverts targeting the Eurovision public vote.
Here at home,
RTÉ also 'requested a breakdown in voting numbers from the EBU'
, which is essentially an alliance of public service media organisations whose countries are within the European Broadcasting Area.
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In a statement, Österdahl said he is 'immensely proud of the changes we made to modernise and strengthen the Eurovision Song Contest'.
'The ESC is now an event where hundreds of thousands sign up to buy tickets, a show watched by hundreds of millions, connecting with youth audiences worldwide, and stands as a unique platform for overnight global success for artists and songwriters,' he said.
'As my overall involvement with the ESC is now approaching a period of twenty years in total, it has been the honour of my professional life to steer the world's largest music event, developing the Contest as a global super brand that brings joy to more people than ever before.
'I am deeply grateful to the entire ESC community and particularly to the ESC Core Team, participating broadcasters, artists, and fans for their passion and support.'
The EBU said Martin Green, the director of Eurovision Song Contest, will fill Österdahl's role on an interim basis until a permanent replacement can be found.
Green was appointed to the new director role last year having previously been the executive producer for the 2023 contest in Liverpool, as well as London's 2012 Olympic Games.
'Further announcements regarding the future structure of the Eurovision Song Contest team will be made in due course,' the EBU added.
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