Head of Delegation for North Macedonia, Meri Popova, has presented a report to the MRT Programming Council about proposals to improve the country’s results in Eurovision. This comes as a result of the assesment and study process that is being done by the broadcaster.
The report that Meri Popova presented to North Macedonian broadcaster MRT consists of five key points that can help to improve the country’s results in Eurovision.
Long term strategy:
In the first point, Meri Popova explained that MRT should begin preparing for Eurovision in September, and they should have a clear idea of how the selection of their act will work, by chosing a selection method, and finalising all the details of it, early on. By doing this, it would give the broadcaster, and North Macedonia’s Eurovision representative, plenty of time to prepare for Eurovision.
Increased delegation
Another key point that Meri Popova touched on was regarding the delegation., and mentions in her report that the North Macedonian delegation should be bigger. Currently, the delegation is small, and is constantly changing, with many members working on numerous projects at the same time.
Money, Money, Money!
Money (or more specifically, the budget), was another important factor for Meri Popova, as she explains North Macedonia’s budget for Eurovision should be increased, and should be in place in September. At the present time, North Macedonia’s budget for Eurovision poses an obstacle for the country’s participation, and Meri sees this as a possible reason for North Macedonia’s poor results in recent years.
Promotion goes a long way...
Meri mentions that she would like to see a marketing plan put in place for the country’s participation in Eurovision. This could involve several advertising partnerships which would help to enhance the Eurovision brand in North Macedonia.
MRT would also have the opportunity to promote their participation, and to sell adversiting slots during the live shows. This in turn would kill two birds with one stone, as it would bring MRT the money that they need for their Eurovision participation.
Public Relations Commitee
Meri’s final point was the creation of a Public Relations Committee. This committee would help to increase public interest in Eurovision, and allow the broadcaster to protect their public image. In turn, they would be better equiped to deal with any scandals that may arise, as was seen with the official music video for “Here I Stand” by Vasil in 2021 for example.
MRT have now been tasked with reviewing Meri Popova’s report, and to provide their own report on how they intend to impliment these recommendations. They have also asked the general director of MRT for a final decision on any disciplinary actions, if any, on the 2022 delegation, with regards to the flag throwing incident at the opening ceremony.
What are your thoughts on Meri Popova’s report? Do you think this will be enough to improve North Macedonia’s results in Eurovision? Let us know what you think in the comments below!
