Category: Ireland

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The Irish national broadcaster invested approximately €400,000 in Bambie Thug's participation in Eurovision 2024, a high amount compared to other countries.  Bambie Thug, Ireland's representative at Eurovision 2024, brought the country back to the Grand Final for the first time since 2018 with an impressive result, finishing in sixth place. The cost of this achievement has now been revealed to be approximately €400,000. This amount funded a large delegation of 21 people, some of whom stayed in Malmö for a full 16 days. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Bambie Thug themselves, their dancer Matt Williams, the delegation's makeup artist Amy Heany, and the head of delegation Michael Kealy all flew to Malmö on April 26, 15 days before the Grand Final. Others, including commentator Marty Whelan, arrived on May 4, three days before the semi-final in which Ireland competed. The entire delegation returned to the country on May 12, the day after the Grand Final, with accommodation costs in...

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); RTÉ's drastic cuts threaten its ability to host Eurovision in the future, leaving the selection process for the Irish Eurovision representative uncertain. Ireland's national broadcaster, RTÉ, is facing heavy criticism over proposed reforms that could jeopardise its ability to host major events like the Eurovision Song Contest. Concerns are mounting regarding the potential impacts on production capabilities and iconic shows. The recent announcement by Kevin Bakhurst, the new CEO of RTÉ, has sent shockwaves through Ireland's media landscape. Bakhurst's reform plans include significant budget cuts, selling off parts of the RTÉ campus, and outsourcing many productions. These changes have raised alarms about RTÉ's future role in hosting large-scale events such as the Eurovision Song Contest. A long-time broadcast engineer at RTÉ expressed deep concern, stating, "The role of RTÉ as a full public service broadcaster would be gone forever" under these new plans. The new RTÉ won't have the teams, the equipment, or likely even the funding to host...