The EBU has appointed Martin Österdahl as the new Eurovision Song Contest Executive Supervisor.
The Swedish Senior TV executive boasts an impressive track record, including posts as Executive Producer for Eurovision 2013 and 2016.
The decision, taken by EBU Director of Media Jean Philip De Tender and the Chair of the ESC Reference Group, was announced earlier today.
Österdahl will take over from incumbent Jon Ola Sand after the 2020 contest in Rotterdam.
Martin Österdahl new Eurovision Song Contest Executive Supervisor
Speaking on the appointment, De Tender describes Österdahl as the “perfect candidate”:
“Martin is the perfect candidate to continue and build on the exceptional work done by Jon Ola Sand over the past decade.
“The Eurovision Song Contest has been transformed under Jon Ola’s guidance, setting new standards in world-class television production. Martin is a great creative talent and has invaluable experience from his work as Executive Producer of two exceptional Contests and numerous other successful entertainment shows.
“He is an excellent leader and storyteller, which is core for us to work closely with EBU Members to develop and grow the world’s largest live music event in the next decade and beyond.”
Österdahl will actually begin work on the Eurovision Song Contest at the end of April, but only assume his full role at the end of the Grand Final on May 16.
Meet our new Executive Supervisor! ?
Martin Österdahl produced #Eurovision in 2013 and 2016 in Sweden ??
He’ll take over from @jonolasand at @ebu_hq after this year’s Contest in Rotterdam ??
More on Martin ? https://t.co/WBueHtVfof pic.twitter.com/BN12Wf607D
— Eurovision Song Contest (@Eurovision) January 20, 2020
Martin Österdahl: SVT Supremo
Österdahl has a host of credits to his name at Sweden’s Eurovision broadcaster SVT.
In his time as Programme Director and Commissioner of Entertainment & Sport he was responsible for events including the 2010 Royal Wedding and The Nobel Prize Ceremony.
Addressing the news outgoing Executive Supervisor Jon Ola Sand said:
“I’m confident that the future of the Eurovision Song Contest is in very capable hands and that Martin is the right person to take this incredible show to the next level.”
What do you think of the news? Let us know in the comments below!
Photo Credit: Sören Vilks, Thomas Hanses
I hope he changes the voting system and time slot for Junior Eurovision. For the voting system, international viewers can still vote, but NOT for their own country. For the time slot, I guess Saturday evening.
Love all the people complaining because “pro-Sweden” comments were deleted…
(1) Comments were deleted because they were trolling.
(2) Wiwibloggs writes an article every time the third cousin of the former neighbor of the co-writer of a song that placed last in semi-final 3 of Melodifestivalen 1994 walks their dog, I think this is the last website on the planet where your insinuations of “anti-Sweden bias” will resonate.
(3) Healthy criticism of Sweden’s influence on this contest is not being “anti-Sweden” (as a reminder, it’s not even “Sweden” that participates in the ESC but one Swedish TV channel).
Lol another Sweden-hater. So jealous.
Fans are dramaqueens and complain about every change, song and artist. Its their thing: to COMPLAIN!
So do you, a lot!
He is obviously experienced to take on the job, and will probably do a great job. And to be fair, none of the guys or women that voted or had a say on who would become the new supervisor, none of them were swedish. So he got chosen fair and square in my mind.
Celebration of diversity
So you are a person who dont apply for a job if a person is from your country before you? Dont you hear yourself how stupid that sounds? but if thats opinion haha. ps 9 million swedes apologize to you beacuse we cant apply then if you could decide haha. thank god you cant.
I wanna he hired but maybe i’m not enough cis.
The problem is likely your use of cis
I guess it was me that got deleted. Im a swede so i was to positive i guess. sorry
Since he was in charge of Eurovision 2013 hopefully he’ll give us the full results from that contest
Svante Stockselius, the supervisor from 2004 to 2010 was swedish as well. I will never believe that they couldnt find a competent executive from a different country. i bet they didnt even try
EBU unlike you are not obsessive over countries
So if you want a job and a man from your country had it before you Cant you apply then ? Your opinion dont make sence. In my word the person who gets the job has the most experience. I dont know how you do in your world
I wanted someone Italian so Italy could finally win ))) nothing against sweden/ Always quality entries
I stopped reading comments a while ago, but I’m sure this selection has been met with universal approval.
Why are the anti-Sweden comments still here but the pro-Sweden comments are deleted??? Is it ok to bash Sweden on this site? It seems so. There are pathetic comments from jealous Sweden haters here.
It’s not pro Sweden comments which are deleted. It’s comments from one person getting deleted
Still with all this hate for Sweden it is really bad to defend Sweden?? We must be allowed to defend Sweden with all these jealous comments against Sweden.
No several people actually.
thats sad. i dont like when people get REALLY angry. this is not the end of the world. Martin has not killed anyone. He just have a new job
I’ve nothing against Sweden, some of may favourite ever acts / songs / stagings have been Swedish. But I was hoping there might be an influence from somewhere other than that part of the world.
eurovision scandimafia
pathetic
Not more pathetic than your comment
If Martin was British, french, Swiss, German even Polish everyone here would cheer.. Except for me who is Swedish congrats Martin! Grattis!
“Even Polish”?! What does that mean, “even” Polish? What’s wrong with Poland?
Also, don’t play blind: you know very well that there has been A TON of questioning around Sweden always being upvoted by juries for no reason, and this is why people are ticked off. So yes, if he had been from another country, people would have said nothing (hell, I bet most people don’t even know what an Executive Producer does). But the fact is it’s AGAIN teacher’s pet Sweden.
Babe Bella, more love, less hate! It’s true that Switzerland, Germany, France have a longer history at eurovision. That Poland would be more surprising, yes it actually is
I wish his first move is to publish all detailed votes from 2013. He was a producer. It is about time
Agree , that should happen for sure
So many bullies here.. just because Martin is a swede. That’s so awful and disgusting behaviour from fans that I can’t find the words to match my dissapointment.
tell me you didn’t see this coming… LOL
The only reason why people are angry about this is due to the fact that he’s Swedish and people in this community are convinced that they’re receiving extra treatment for being Sweden and that everything’s rigged in their favor, so now they fear he’s gonna help Sweden by doing what…? Yes, I can fully understand everyone who doesn’t want Eurovision to add pre-vocals like in melfest, but you’re all talking like this will happen because he’s from Sweden, when the reality is that everyone could possibly decide to go that route whether they are from Slovenia or Croatia. I’m gonna… Read more »
Scandivision. From Norway to Sweden wow. So we have Bjorkman and Martin Osterdalh. I guess Sweden will keep placing top 5 with the juries for a few years more. Eurovision is the playground for Scandinavian countries, Denmark, Norway and Sweden specially. I’m not saying he’s bad or something, I thinkhe has some good references though. It is just we have Sweden everywhere related to Eurovision
Then you have this Swedish guy calling everyone a butthurt…
His comments were deleted!
in fact, they went from Sweden, to Norway, and now back to Sweden.
Are you familiar with the other candidates?
Again to reiterate, Bjorkman is retiring, Wiwibloggs reported after 2020 hes steping away from Mello an other events to spend time with his family. Yall need to not villanize someone who made a country a success after mediocre results. (Yall remember the naughties? 2005-2010)
Björkman is stepping down after the 2021 season, not this year
he was the boss back than also, genius
Okay so from what I have gathered, everyone is upset that he is Swedish, even though he is 1/11 of the Reference Group. I too would have liked someone else from a different region to be approved but looking at what he gave us, 2016 and 2013, I’ll say we have a pretty solid guy in office.
Do I think the contest will be more Mellofied? No, Christer is retiring this year and I honestly only thing the Mello thing about the contest is the voting syste. Which is fine btw…
Honestly.
I don’t think people are against this guy, it’s the fact that Sweden constantly gets preferential treatment in the contest.
LAKE MALAWI in polish preselecitions for ESC!!! Kasia Dere? (esc 2018 back up singer), Maja Hy?y and Saszan(Krajowe Eliminacje 2018), Alicja Szempli?ska (latest Xfactor winner), Marek Kaliszuk (maybe Polish Robin Bengtsson) and Lanberry (Krajowe Eliminacje 2017, co-writer of Superhero and Anyone I want to be), Nick Sinclair and more…
Lol at the downvotes Robin
He was responsible for the worst contest which is the year 2013?
Plz 2013>>>2011
Lucas: The only problem of the 2011 contest is the winner. 2014 was an improvement of 2013 but 2016 beat them all.
And 2016, one of the very best
2016 was great, but no, not the best ever. I have every confidence that 2020 can match it.
From 2003 we have only people from Nordic countries at this position.
Sounds like the best person for the job. He needs his own catchphrase and smile and we are good to go.
Of course I am not talking about quotation. I am talking about over-influence one particular Member State has in the organization and this Member State is Sweden.
Yeah, it’s a huge responsibility and a large contest. Someone with experience would be essential.
Is he still going to say ‘take it away’….or does he have another one liner?
Indeed. I’ve been to the EBU headquarters in Geneva. It’s a rather depressing place. Although the money would make it attractive enough, I’m assuming.
Well, if this guy really had any sort of creative control over the 2016 edition, which was stellar, I say let him try.
What if he did?
I agree about 2016 being a stellar edition (2013 was one of the weakest productions of the decade IMO), but the EBU supervisor has creative input. Anyway, best of luck to him.
On both, Martin was the exec.
BUT, the creative side on both events was in the hands of Bjorkman. Martin was there for all the technicalities and to transform into reality Bjorkman’s vision. On that occasion, he was succesfull both times..
2013 being bland, well, Bjorkman has those ideas, blame him. LOL
The Melo-dification of ESC will be continuing…
True. The proof of the pudding will be when either Norway or Sweden are allocated second -performing position in the final…..(like never)
They performed ninth in 2016 but that was because of a random draw, precisely to avoid favoritism.
I’m sure he’s qualified and everybody should wait and see how he does before throwing stones (remember Zibbz?) at him. But it’s unconceivable to imagine that EBU couldn’t find any talented candidate to head the contest outside of that region.
I nominated you. Don’t tell me you didn’t apply after my glowing endorsement.
The former HoD of France and the producers of the 2020 edition popped into my mind, Robyn. But to be fair I don’t pay much attention to producers’ names and who knows if they would want the job. But wouldn’t it be nice to have someone from a different cultural background making the calls for a change? I don’t think this choice was a matter of “keeping Eurovision under Scandinavian power” (and one of the reasons I dislike it it’s because we’ll have annoying “Swedish Maffia” conspiracy theories all over the Internet). I believe they just wanted to stick to… Read more »
The former HoD of France and Italy. Especially Nicola Caligiore has experience on eurovision and live shows 🙂
Heck yeah! The guy who was fired for spending too much time at Eurovision partying, ignoring the act he was supposed to be overseeing; he would be SUCH a good pick for the new JOS.
How can you prove that? Are you working in RAI?
But are they more experienced than Martin? I don’t think so. Martin is the executive producer of ESC 2013 and 2016. It’s hard to beat that.
He definitely has the experience for the job. I’m just questioning if EBU has been making the necessary effort to find talented executives in other regions.
It would also have been nice to see a woman in the role.
I second that. EBU could take the delegations meetings to slowly prepare people from diverse backgrounds to take the job someday. This could even end up improving some national finals.
I find whining and complaint about him unfair. Did Jon Ola Sand turn it into a Norwegian style of contest? Did him being Norwegian give Norway any benefits?
Martin Österdahl won’t turn ESC into MF, that is not his goal and that is not what he was elected for. He can’t even decide anything, that is what the Reference group does. All he can do is to implement what the Group decides. It’s a pointless title, basically just the go to guy for all broadcasters..
I choose to wait and see what changes he might implement before I judge
That’s good news! Maybe he’ll change Junior Eurovision’s time slot back to Saturday evening.
Oh shush. Does it matter?
Wow fantastic news!!!!!!! Good luck Martin Österdahl.
Guys, we’re talking about the Executive Producer of ESC 2016, one of the best editions to date. Does it really matter what country he’s from?
It matters in the sense that yet again Eurovision gets a massive dose of Swedish influence. Don’t get me wrong, Sweden is very professional and entertaining when it comes to Eurovision and they make one of the most spectacular contests, no doubt about it… but it really does start to feel like it’s a huge Swedish house party now that we are only the guests of.
You guys act like having the tiniest bit of swedish influence will kill y’all. stop moaning and bitching around and enjoy this contest instead!
Scandinavia*
SWEDEN
so true
Before y’all say “omg another Swede!!!”, here’s a reminder that the executive board has a total of 11 members in it and the amount of Swedes there is 1
And how many Eurovision Song Contest Executive Supervisors are there?
I rolled my eyes when I read that he’s a Swede but I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. I really hope he doesn’t channel his inner Bjorkman and makes unnecessary changes because the Swedes have a proven track record of changing things when they have the ability to do so. Don’t let me down, Mr Osterdahl
And then you ask why we don’t love you guys!… Why don’t you get a grip?
Well , I am assuming he was the best candidate and hence was chosen
But Eurovision turning into melodifestivalen circus fears are probably exaggerated cause any decision has to be approved by the entire board and not just one person . But yeah countries need to refrain from inviting Christie for everything and making him receive even more hate ! There are certain editions which had really poor running orders but hey the running order in any ESC has not been as bad as it was with JESC 2019 where all the favorites were put into slots 1-5
totally agree. Lets hope the board will stop any effort of turning eurovision into a european melodifestivalen. The contest is not the property of Sweden, it belongs to all the broadcasters.
How convenient and cosy
just like Megxit ending in British Columbia
I thought it was Ontario…
I was hoping for non-scandinavian (just to be different) but if Martin Österdahl is really responsible for his job then idk what’s the problem of him being a Swede. I mean Norway had their high and low in 2010s, so it doesn’t matter if he keep it fair
I am just curious who would be his number 2… Does this organization value diversity at all?
Oh, a Swede. What a surprise. It’s going to be tough for Sweden, they were already discriminated against by the entire organization.