Chch host to song contest

Press, 18 April 1978, Page 17

Chch host to song contest

Christchurch will be the venue for an international song contest, to be screened on October 5. Entrants from New Zealand, Japan, Canada, Hong Kong, Australia, the Philippines, and other specially invited countries will com-

pete in the contest, which will be beamed by satellite from the Town Hall. Each entrant will have to sing an “original” song. Judging will be “live” by international toll circuit, and the total audience will be in the millions. Radio New Zealand has

indicated its support. A separate contest will be staged by TVI in August to find the best original song to represent this country’s entry, and the song will be offered to a professional singer or group.

The announcement of the song contest was made by TVl’s programme controller (Mr Des Monaghan) after months of planning and first-hand contacts with a large number of Pacific countries. Confirmation of entries from the United States,

Hawaii, Chile, Peru, and Mexico is awaited. t The contest co-ordinator, 1 Chris Bourn, who is a for- £ mer producer of the 1 “Studio One Song Contest,” is delighted that New Zea- I land will stage the inter- f national entertainment F event. v “This is a technical exer- 1 cise of enormous com- 1 plexity, and is without parallel as a show-business r event,” he said. c

“We want every song writer in every city and town to send us an original song, unpublished before January 1, 1978.” Christchurch will be the host for contestants from participating countries, and plans are under way to provide accommodation and transport for visiting entertainers. Air New Zealand will fly participants to Christchurch.