Estonia's Eurovision given green light

Estonia was the unexpected victor in Eurovision 2001

Television bosses in Estonia have put aside financial concerns and have confirmed that the 2002 Eurovision Song Contest will be held in the capital Tallin.

Estonia won the right to stage the 47th contest when Ivar Must's song Everybody, performed by Tanel Padar and Dave Benton, won this year's contest in Copenhagen.

But financial difficulties at Estonian Television, the public service broadcaser of the country, had called the event into question.

Soren Pilmark and Natasja Crone presented the Copenhagen event

It will be the first time the contest - which can attract a Europe-wide TV audience of 70 million people - is held in eastern Europe.

Aare Urm, director general of ETV, has described the chance to organize the contest as a "billion-dollar opportunity for Estonia".

The event will take place either at the Lillekula stadium or the Saku Hall in Tallinn, the Estonian capital, on 25 May next year.

The announcement was made during a visit by officials of the European Broadcast Union (EBU), the Geneva-based association of Europe's public broadcasters, and representatives of the three most recent broadcasters to have hosted the contest.

Ruurd Bierman of the Dutch public broadcaster NOS, chairman of the visiting delegation, said he was impressed by what he saw in Estonia.

"I am convinced that with the help of other EBU members and the Estonian government, Estonian Television would be able to put on a high-quality show next May," said Bierman.

Lindsay D: Poor British showing in this year's contest

Under the statutes of the Eurovision, the song contest can only be organised by the public service broadcasting stations.

The contest, which was set up in 1956, has television viewers in the participating countries make up the jury by phoning in their individual votes.

Britain finished 15th in this year's contest - after finishing 16th in 2000.