On Monday San Marino Radio Television explicitly denied that it had had any direct contact with Italian singer Tony Maiello, who earlier claimed than an SMRTV intermediary had offered him a spot at Eurovision – if he could cough up 500,000 euros.

And on Tuesday the drama continued as Italian songstress Arisa offered her own perspective on the matter in an interview with Quotidiano.net.

The two-time Sanremo winner, who just wrapped the tenth series of Italian X Factor, makes it clear that San Marino offered her a spot at Eurovision if she could pay an exorbitant fee.

“San Marino asked me to represent them, but it would take €300,000 and I do not have that amount of money to invest,” she said. “My record label should have been my sponsor, but the figures were too high for them as well.”

If she had started a KickStarter campaign, we’d have happily thrown our coins at her!

The already mentioned Tony Maiello jumped on her comments and once again took aim at the Sammarinese public service broadcaster.

Writing on his Facebook page he said: “San Marino RTV should also refute Arisa. Let’s see how many others will be added to the list. She was a bit luckier than me, they asked her for just €300,000. I repeat: you are a cancer.”

Wiwibloggs has reached out to SMRTV and are awaiting a response.

Arisa at Eurovision

San Marino controversy aside, Arisa also speaks about her big dream of representing Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest. Throughout her career she’s expressed her desire to appear on the pan-European stage and she reiterated the point again in the interview. “I think Eurovision would be a huge opportunity, because my music is strongly Italian”.

“If I could sing at Eurovision a song that I care a lot about that’s not yet published, you may see wonderful things,” she said. “It’s as strong as ‘Guardando il cielo’ [Arisa’s entry at the Sanremo Music Festival 2016]. I have not yet been able to get why the audience didn’t react to it as good as I thought. Maybe I was badly dressed.”

READ MORE SAN MARINO NEWS HERE

28 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
mawnck
mawnck
7 years ago

” no way two teenagers (2015) could afford hundreds of thousands of euros”

They didn’t. Ralph Siegel (the songwriter) did. He also sponsored all of Valentina’s appearances.

mad-professor
mad-professor
7 years ago

@Marcus
That 400k is just the participation fee – the BBC have not disclosed how much they spend on the acts.

The increasing focus on staging at Eurovision is why the costs keep going up.

Alex
Alex
7 years ago

How rude to ask artists to pay for their expenses. If they cannot cover the expenses, they should withdraw!

Now we know how the German songwriter was given the chance to write the song of San Marino three times! Plus Serhat’s awkward participation!

I would love to see an Italian singer with an Italian song representing San Remo but asking the artists to pay 300k is outrageous. Even Albania doesn’t do that.

Ryan Crean
Ryan Crean
7 years ago

@Rom30 daddy Serhat xD

R0m30
R0m30
7 years ago

At least we already know how on Earth it is possible to choose Serhat to represent your country in ESC.

Marcus (Day one)
Marcus (Day one)
7 years ago

I have a feeling that this might all be some kind of hoax or something. Maybe someone pretending to represent smrtv or maybe even a corrupt staff member who is part of the selection committee but isn’t following the rules. The BBC spends around 400k a year all in on eurovision and they’re one of the big 5, have a big crew and send the artist to lots of promotions. San Marino gets the lowest participation fee and doesn’t have a big delegation so how could they need so much money? And this can’t be what they’ve always dome because… Read more »

an esc fan
an esc fan
7 years ago

I know that Croatia simply could not help Nina in 2016, Malta if used so much money … well … it was not worth it, neither Hovi Star pyros .
It also depends of the host. Sweden is a very expensive country, but Ukraine has more accessible prices. Western money can buy a lot in Ukraine.

Erasmus
Erasmus
7 years ago

@Lanti

I know that Malta spend around 900k
Slovenia around 150k
every year is diffrent . Some countries take ESC seriously like all Nordic nations , Malta(for such a small nation), Estonia, Russia of course.. in some Balcans( Slovenia, Serbia ) the broadcasters are serious about it while Croatia’ really isn’t . UK and Ireland dont really care i think.

nn
nn
7 years ago

Duff

In Italy RAI state brodcaster send singer to Eurovision, they dont participate in 1994-96 and from 1998 to 2010 , and who was in that time prime minister of Italy, man who have television and chanell who are concurent to RAI. Maybe becuase that Italy not participated in that period.

Duff
Duff
7 years ago

@mawnck but both Valentina and Serhat are signed to record labels. You never know, they had popular responses to participating, their record labels could negotiate with the broadcaster. Kind of like how BHRT has been trying to find funding by asking previous acts to pay for costs.

I think San Marino is in a complex situation. Small broadcaster, small population and surrounded by an entire country that is at large not excited to be participating in Eurovision- they took a 14 year break for a reason.

PP
PP
7 years ago

Purple Mask

They offer singers, pay some money (all cost for Eurovision participation and cost for promotion) and you sing for our country at Eurovision.

an esc fan
an esc fan
7 years ago

@ Purple Mask
Yes, some countries do that, but I’m sure many others don’t do it.
For example, Bosnia and Herzegovina who will not be in Kiev, and other countries who choose to take breaks some years in the past.
I just hope this will not give ideas for the future.

Purple Mask
Purple Mask
7 years ago

It looks like San Marino’s SMTV sees the Eurovision Song Contest as an easy way to make money. It’s probably not the only country that does this though. As long as it’s not illegal, people will do it.

MirkoJoshua
MirkoJoshua
7 years ago

I literally was motivated to read the article just because of Arisa… jope she gets to Eurovision one day, she’s been dreaming of it since 2014

mad-professor
mad-professor
7 years ago

@Keane
That’s participation fee, not the cost of everything else.

@Lanti
Not a breakdown, but we do know that Australia’s 2015 entry cost around $1 million (Australian dollars).

mawnck
mawnck
7 years ago

“Just send Valentina again. Or even better a Valentina and Serhat duet.” Uhhh … you DO know that both of them were pay-to-play acts as well, right? Also, y’all need to learn how to read news better. I THINK Wiwibloggs staff has picked up on it based on their wording, but just in case … “I can affirm that we’ve never had direct contact with Mr. Maiello and we’ve never charged someone to contact him on our behalf.” Key words: “Direct contact”. A proposal like this wouldn’t involve direct contact with Maiello. It would be handled through his management. Come… Read more »

Keane
Keane
7 years ago

@Lanti
I know for example, Spain usually pays around 300,000 euros

an esc fan
an esc fan
7 years ago

It is sad when a country withdraws because of bad results, guess they are discriminated in the voters minds that microstates can’t be taken seriously as next hosts, and this is not fair. If those countries can’t host, then they should make a deal with another country, long before ESC, and fans must know that as early as possible.

MarioMario
7 years ago

This issue makes me sleepy.

Varian Jeataba
Varian Jeataba
7 years ago

I’m surprised they still participate, like they have only been in the in the final once in- 2014 (23rd place) I think they will be the next Monaco, Andorra or Luxemburg- withdrawing due to bad results-Monaco last appearance 2006, Andorra last appearance 2009, Luxembourg last appearance 1993 and soon San Marino last appearance 2017
I reckon San Marino will participate in 2017, but withdraw in 2018????
Although i like San Marino in ESC- I think this is what’s most liking going to happen????

mocosuburbian
mocosuburbian
7 years ago

tiny country, huuuge controversies
honestly why do the people at SMTV always throw themselves at the drama
they did this last year with the new voting procedure too

Lanti
7 years ago

If Arisa said she needed 300K euros for promo/ participation fee/ hotels+transportation for her and the team/ etc, how much money are other broadcasters spending? Hovi Star mentioned the 18K euro worth of pyros, but has any broadcaster ever released a breakdown of their ESC budget?

Mmle
Mmle
7 years ago

Miodio is the best they ever had, but Monetta and Serhat duet would do. Otherwise, it should not be that hard to find a sanmarinese that could sing, even with the population they have. Also, knowing that number, it is interesting that it seems they have not find their entry yet, which is a shame, as it may point out that they will have someone from a different nation again. These texts, if some part of them is not biassed, make me understand that they cannot cope with the cost and that it is also a reason why they may… Read more »

Mmle
Mmle
7 years ago

Miodio is the best they ever had, but Monetta and Serhat duet would do. Otherwise, it should not be that hard to find a sanmarinese that could sing, even with the population they have. Also, knowing that number, it is interesting that it seems they have not find their entry yet, which is a shame, as it may point out that they will have someone from a different nation again. These texts, if some part of them is not biassed, make me understand that they cannot cope with the cost and that it is also a reason why they may… Read more »

fikri
fikri
7 years ago

have smrtv asked eduard romanyuta yet? i’m sure he got a couple of hundred thousand to waste.

Duff
Duff
7 years ago

Just send Valentina again. Or even better a Valentina and Serhat duet.

an esc fan
an esc fan
7 years ago

It is good that they speak, I hate ”the silence code” in the name of being polite.
This trend of asking money from artist or record label, can destroy ESC, we will be invaded by rich kids that want to be stars. Broadcasters around Europe should use their own money, or look for sponsors ( is it so hard to find sponsors, like football teams have ? ).

Thomas
Thomas
7 years ago

I am honestly worried for San Marino. I think they will be screwed out this year.