Eurovision to Be Broadcast in Widescreen, With New Hosts

This year’s Eurovision song contest will be broadcast in a new 16:9 format, much to the delight of widescreen set owners, according to the contest’s press service. The broadcasting partners of the National Television Company of Ukraine (NTCU) are the Swedish company Prisma, which broadcast the Olympics from Athens, and the Ukrainian company Film Plus, which together with NTCU broadcast the European rhythmic sportive gymnastics and weightlifting competitions, and President Yushchenko’s inauguration. Film Plus will provide live broadcasting of the Eurovision semifinals and finals on May 19 and 21 from Independence Square.

According to Eurovision 2005 organizers, preparations are 95% complete. The contest hosts will be DJ Pasha (Pavlo Shylko) and Mariya Yefrosinina. According to Eurovision television producer Mykhailo Krupiyevsky, “Being a Eurovision host is a very specific job, because the host has to convey a lot of information to the audience while keeping a close watch on the time. During broadcasts the timing is calculated to the second. And this job needs a person with considerable experience as a television moderator. That’s why Masha and Pasha are the best choices, and they will not lose their composure while on air.”

The previously announced hosts, Eurovision 2004 winner Ruslana Lyzhychko and heavyweight boxer Volodymyr Klychko, will also take part in various events during the song fest both as stars and guests of honor. Their appearances will be a surprise for millions of viewers.

On May 9 the organizers held the first rehearsal on the stage of the Sports Palace to check the timing of the hosts’ appearances and contestants’ soundtracks. Last week Kyiv began receiving its first Eurovision guests, who will be accommodated in hotels or in the Eurocamp, built for the occasion on Kyiv’s Trukhaniv Island.

In the meantime, after appearing in the Tavria Games Festival in Ukraine’s Kakhovka, the band Gryndzholy (Greenjolly), who are representing Ukraine at Eurovision, continued their promotional tour with the new version of their song “Together We Are Many.” They appeared in Portugal, the Baltic countries, Greece, and Cyprus. On May 11 they gave their last concert in Albania and returned to Kyiv.