Some extremely exciting news for you all! That’s right! Australia is back in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest!
After having two very successful artists so far, in Bella Paige and Alexa Curtis, the Australian’s are back. We’re yet to discover who will represent Australia, but a new broadcasting partnership points only towards positive things.
“This is now a great opportunity to reach a youth and children’s audience not available on SBS, to encourage more young Australians to get behind our performer”
This broadcasting partnership is in collaboration with the Australian Broadcasting Company’s dedicated children’s channel ABC ME. After discussions with SBS and the EBU, they decided to have ABC ME be the broadcaster, maximizing the events reach (a potential weekly viewership of 1.7 million people).
Marshall Heald, the Director of Television and Online Content at SBS is positive about the change. He says:
“The Junior Eurovision Song Contest has been growing its following among passionate Eurovision fans since SBS first broadcast the event in 2014. This is now a great opportunity to reach a youth and children’s audience not available on SBS, to encourage more young Australians to get behind our performer, embrace the fun of the contest, and the spirit of unity and learning about different cultures which Junior Eurovision inspires.”
Grace Koh, a popular presenter from ABC ME, will be present in Tbilisi. She will provide daily updates for the viewers back home. This is a welcome and refreshing step that has yet to happen in previous years at JESC. It really says to me that Australia is continuing to take it’s participation seriously – Potentially even more seriously! JESC is a hard pitch to make, and it looks like Australia is doing everything it can to make it work.
“This is a very exciting new step in our Eurovision story”
Obviously I couldn’t be prouder.
Don’t worry SBS die-hards out there, they will still be broadcasting Eurovision. Or as I like to call it in this context “Big Eurovision”. So you have nothing to worry about in regards to that.
Paul Clarke, the Australian Head of Delegation, is excited (aren’t we all) stating:
“Eurovision and Junior Eurovision always showcase our Australian singers and songwriters in the most impactful way, and to a huge European audience. This is a very exciting new step in our Eurovision story and we welcome ABC ME and their viewers! We really look forward to working with ABC ME”
Is anyone else excited to see Australia ‘Shine Bright’ this year in Tbilisi like I am?
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