The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has announced a major campaign to find the full recordings of the Eurovision contests from 1956 and 1964, which mysteriously disappeared from the official archives of Switzerland and Denmark. The organization hopes for the help of fans and private collectors in unraveling this television mystery.
The Start of a Major Search
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has launched a major campaign to find the lost recordings of the very first Eurovision contests. This exciting search was announced on April 27 on the organization's official website. "In the run-up to the 70th anniversary of the Eurovision Song Contest, the EBU is turning to its main resource — its fans — for help in solving one of television's most intriguing mysteries," their appeal states.
Lost Treasures of the Archives
The focus is on the shows from 1956 and 1964, the full versions of which, it turns out, are missing from the archives of the broadcasters in Switzerland and Denmark. The EBU hopes that these invaluable materials may be stored in private collections or forgotten in old archives.
"Despite decades of archiving, full recordings of these broadcasts have not been preserved in the archives of their original broadcasters, Swiss SRG SSR (1956) and Danish DR (1964)," EBU representatives lamented. They added, "Now the hunt for them has begun — wherever they may be in the world."
Why Did the Recordings Disappear?
The Eurovision Song Contest has been held annually since 1956, except for 2020 due to the global pandemic, and today it is the largest live music event. However, in its early years, television technologies were just emerging, and recordings were often not preserved properly.
Magnetic tapes were very expensive at that time, so recordings were often erased, and the media themselves were reused. As a result, the first contests in Lugano in 1956, where it all began, and in Copenhagen in 1964 have been completely lost. Only audio recordings, individual video clips, and valuable memories remain.
Hope for Private Collections
Nevertheless, hope is not lost. The European Broadcasting Union is convinced that copies or even fragments of these historic broadcasts may still exist. They may be stored in private collections, in the archives of television companies, on old film reels, or long forgotten in some attic.
What Are the Organizers Looking For?
The EBU is ready to consider any materials that could help restore the missing parts of this television history. These could be full recordings, partial video clips, home recordings, as well as any photographic or film materials.
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