After eight years in the position as Executive Supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest Svante Stockselius has decided that it is time to try something else. He will finish with the up coming Junior Contest and at the end of the year leave his position. It has not yet been decided who will take over after him.
The Eurovision Song Contest has seen quite some changes during Svante’s eight years this including the semi-finals and the professionel juries. He has often said that one of his biggest dreams would be to bring Italy back to the Eurovision Song Contest. This he never managed although it reportingly has been quite close a couple of times.
To the official site Eurovision.tv Svante Stockselius says about his farewell: "When I took this challenge nearly eight years ago, the Eurovision Song Contest was at a crucial cross road. Since then it is has become one of the greatest TV-entertainment events in the world! After the successes of Moscow and Oslo, I decided that now would be a good moment to say farewell, and to give others the opportunity to take the event to the next level."
Jørgen Franck, TV Director ad interim of the European Broadcasting Union, adds: "With the departure of Svante Stockselius we say goodbye to a highly respected colleague, one of Europe’s most experienced TV-producers and someone who has his Eurovision heart at the right place. He brought the song contest to where it is today, and deserves credit for the growing appreciation of the brand. We are grateful for his contribution to the Junior- and Eurovision Song Contest and we are looking forward to working with him one more time in Minsk, where the 8th Junior Eurovision Song Contest will take place."
