Monaco is unifying its two existing public national broadcasters to create a new national broadcaster that will begin operating in 2025. Will the new Monégasque national broadcaster bring the country back to Eurovision?
Monaco currently operates two public national broadcasters – Monaco Info and TVMONACO. The principality is now taking steps to consolidate these broadcasters into a single national broadcaster responsible for public broadcasting. This decision comes on the heels of TVMONACO’s success in securing a position on the board of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), demonstrating Monaco’s interest in the organization and potentially in Eurovision participation.
Rationale Behind the Merger
The merger of the national broadcasters is driven by the frequent content overlaps between the two, given Monaco’s small size. Prince Albert II stated, “We are too small to have two separate channels competing on the same subjects.” Recently, Monaco’s Minister of State, Didier Guillaume, confirmed plans for a new national broadcaster, saying, “This channel will be independent of government communication, led by a professional board of directors, and funded through a mix of public and private resources.”
Implications for Eurovision Participation
While this move doesn’t necessarily indicate Monaco’s immediate return to Eurovision, it does open up possibilities. The new national broadcaster is expected to begin operations in September 2025. If Monaco were interested in returning to the competition, they would need to confirm participation and select a representative and song relatively quickly to participate in Eurovision 2026. However, it’s uncertain whether they would be interested or capable of doing so at a pace that might compromise quality. Therefore, if Monaco and the new national broadcaster decide to return to Eurovision, such a potential comeback is unlikely to occur before Eurovision 2027.
Monaco in Eurovision
Monaco has participated in Eurovision 24 times, with its first entry in 1959 when singer Jacques Pills finished last with only one point from Austria. Interestingly, the following year, his daughter Jacqueline Boyer represented France and won first place.
Monaco’s sole Eurovision victory came in 1971 when singer Séverine represented the small state with the song “Un banc, un arbre, une rue” (in English: “A bench, a tree, a street”). Despite this historic win, Monaco struggled to host the competition the following year, eventually passing the hosting duties to Scotland in the UK.
Monaco participated regularly in 21 contests until Eurovision 1979 held in Jerusalem. The country made a surprising return for three consecutive Eurovision contests from 2004 to 2006 but withdrew again in 2007 after failing to reach the final in any of these attempts. The establishment of the new Monégasque television network – TVMONACO – in 2023 has raised hopes among many for a future return of the country to Eurovision, possibly even in 2025.
Source: Monaco Life
