Eurovision Song Contest 1956
eurovision song contest first edition annual eurovision song contest organised european broadcasting union ebu host broadcaster radio svizzera italiana rsi behalf swiss broadcasting corporation srg ssr contest originally titled gran premio eurovisione della canzone europea english grand prix eurovision song competition french grand prix eurovision de la chanson européenne held may teatro kursaal lugano switzerland hosted swiss television presenter lohengrin filipello remains time contest hosted solo male presenter inspired principally italian sanremo music festival held annually since concept televised european song contest initially proposed italian broadcaster rai formulated ebu committee led swiss broadcaster executive marcel bezençon following approval ebus general assembly rule structure contest agreed upon several rule utilised first contest would subsequently altered future edition remains edition country represented two song voting process held secret jury could vote entry country seven country participated inaugural edition contest first winner host country switzerland song refrain performed lys assia result determined assembled jury composed two juror country juror ranking song point winning country song announced conclusion event result remaining participant unknown even though broadcast television radio via eurovision network ten country video footage event known exist video available reprise performance independent archiver majority broadcast however available audio european broadcasting union ebu formed among organisation aim facilitating creative cooperation exchange television programme word eurovision first used telecommunication term united kingdom reference programme british broadcasting corporation bbc relayed dutch television subsequently used title union new transmission network upon creation following formation ebu number notable event transmitted network several european country including belgium france west germany netherlands united kingdom series international exchange programme subsequently organised european television season relayed live across europe eurovision network following series transmission programme committee set within ebu investigate new initiative cooperation broadcaster year marcel bezençon swiss broadcasting corporation srg ssr serving committee first president committee agreed study concept new televised european song contest meeting january concept initially proposed italian broadcaster rai inspired broadcaster sanremo music festival held annually since new european contest subsequently approved ebus annual general assembly october leading creation european grand prix first eurovision song contest took place lugano switzerland country awarded contest october ebus general assembly following offer swiss broadcasting corporation srg ssr stage event addition switzerland made logical choice technical perspective hosting experiment live simultaneous crossborder transmission geographically central location europe facilitated terrestrial broadcast across continent well host country ebus headquarters taking inspiration italian sanremo music festival venice international song festival similar ebuorganised song contest held broadcast radio lugano italianspeaking canton ticino chosen first host city srg ssr selected venue contest teatro kursaal casino former theatre situated lake lugano capacity seat seat stall reserved invited guest whereas ticket balcony sale chf theatre used theatrical musical performance ballroom dance show closed shortly featuring last performance april demolished make room extension casino seven country participated first contest – belgium france italy luxembourg netherlands switzerland west germany identified simply germany contest austria denmark believed also interested participating however broadcaster country reportedly missed cutoff point entry two country well united kingdom would broadcast contest along participating country united kingdom bbc chosen send entry event favour organising contest festival british popular song two performer switzerland lys assia luxembourg michèle arnaud performed entry respective country assia well netherlands corry brokken belgium fud leclerc would return compete contest future edition assia brokken returning leclerc planning subgroup headed eduard hass srg ssr formed following signoff organisation event build rule competition taking inspiration sanremo music festival venice international song festival basis planning new contest group made several amendment addition rule suit international nature idea suggested ultimately rejected planning phase included featuring song second time piano accompaniment instead orchestral backing well technical initiative separate producer participating country involved contest organisation prize money winner also ruled stage rule contest finalised distributed ebu member early rule set detail criterion participating song performer production detail requirement timeline submission material participating broadcaster method winning song would determined detail related financing event responsibility lay host broadcaster participating broadcaster inaugural eurovision song contest produced italianlanguage radio broadcaster radio svizzera italiana rsi cooperation germanlanguage television broadcaster schweizer fernsehen der deutschen und rätoromanischen schweiz sf drs brought television production truck zürich lugano franco marazzi served director event behalf rsi rolf liebermann overseeing production jury deliberation behalf ebu executive supervisor jury president per rule contest participating country represented one ebu member organisation submitted contest maximum two song exceeding three threeandahalf minute duration must solely original composition participating organisation sole discretion select entry contest strongly encouraged ebu hold national contest determine representative following performance song winner determined assembled jury composed two individual country individual member rating secretly song one ten point including representing country higher score given appreciated song jury followed contest separate room venue lugano small television screen replicating condition close possible viewer home would watch contest winning song thus gained highest score vote jury member event tie two entry song highest score would declared winner news report time according one dutch juror jury member removed jury room cast vote therefore unable follow tabulation final result jury member luxembourg unable attend contest lugano subsequently ebu allowed two swiss national vote place would remain contest many rule would utilised several change made ahead contest included restricting country one song expanding number performer allowed participate country introducing visible voting system restricting country voting entry song accompanied piece orchestra member radiosa orchestra supplemented string italian swiss radio symphony orchestra presided contest musical director fernando paggi participating country allowed supplement orchestra musical director performance country host musical director also conducting country nominate conductor participating broadcaster required submit ebu may score participating song use orchestra audio recording participating song copy song lyric song original language well translation french english aid jury member commentator confirmed selection country musical director separate host required communicated may rehearsal contest venue competing artist orchestra began may according rule order country song performed determined artistically swiss broadcaster input support musical director country however draw determining order country seems taken place gardone day prior contest contest held may beginning cet approximate duration hour minute event hosted italian lohengrin filipello remains time contest hosted solo male presenter one two contest feature female presenter alongside contest held year later additionally would remain contest feature male presenter year contest featured male female presenting duo interval final competing act announcement winner performance le joyeux rossignols le trois ménestrels featured entertain audience latter performing guerre de troie along work upon announcement result winning artist returned stage reprise performance winning song end broadcast winning song refrain composed géo voumard written émile gardaz performed lys assia representing host country switzerland reprise performance winning song assia became emotional suffered lapse memory song lyric subsequently requesting restart orchestra show reception participating delegation held upper hall teatro kursaal behalf host city lugano canton ticino srg ssr full result contest revealed time winning song named end show jury president rolf liebermann full breakdown juror vote retained ebu presumed lost attempt reconstruct voting interview jury member also failed reveal reliable result article italian newspaper la stampa published may day contest reported switzerland winning entry received point total postcontest interview stelio molo director general srg ssr published italian magazine settimana radio tv week following contest gap first secondplaced song revealed molo two point remaining entry also finished close winner claim however failed corroborated contest organiser year since broadcaster competing event required relay contest via network nonparticipating ebu member broadcaster also able relay contest addition television channel seven participating broadcaster three nonparticipating passive broadcaster contest also broadcast live seven radio network recorded later transmission another united kingdom bbc took partial live transmission event joining minute contest showing second set entry country due technical fault transmission image interrupted minute german danish television broadcaster able send commentator provide coverage contest native language relay information artist song television viewer known detail broadcast country including specific broadcasting station commentator shown table video footage whole contest known exist known footage clip reprise performance winning song via newsreel recording one two edition contest along contest video recording full event retained audio contest however survived majority contest interval act currently lost attempt find audiovisual material related contest yielded result recent year including large cache photograph video footage taken swiss photographer vincenzo vicari inside venue official website