Having attended a few contests,I find it amazing concerning the fans desires to collect every CD each year. Sadly each time, I witness a melee at various press conferences, to grab as many CDs in presspacks as they can. As the conference progresses, you witness the same faces edging nearer to the desk with the press packs, getting ready for the moment where they can pounce and grab. The Spanish fans (sorry journalists) form a circle of grabbing hands and shields but are no worse than most of the other countries fans.
I've seen a blind singer from Hungary almost flattened in a crush for the tiny pile of press packs Hungarian TV brought along and then listened to the whinging dismay of the "journalists" to discover no CD in the pack. A Croatian delegate actually dropped the box of presspacks and ran for her life, when descended on, as a rugby scrum ensued. Violent scenes are witnessed, blood is drawn, people are punched and kicked, large tables have been sent flying with people behind them. Journalists pigeonholes get stolen from as soon as the press deck is unattended etc etc. Being a small person (not quite Smurp proportions but only 5 feet 6 and 8 stones) I kept well away as the prospect of being crushed under 20 stone male and female anoraks wasn't a nice one.
I found that telling the heads of delegation how wonderful their song was and could I have an address of somewhere in their country where I could buy it, usually worked. Though one year the head of Slovakia was kind enough to remove a few from his bag but before I could get one, several hands appeared from behind me and with piranha-like precision, every copy was gone within a second. Another hilarious moment being the Slovenian head who resembled a disconserted cyclops even when he was happy (I once read the tennis player Ivan Lendl described as a machine, put together deliberately to frighten small children, especially when he smiled). Anyway the Slovenian guy was pounced on by a pack of eurohyenas and as I watched from afar I suddenly heard this Slovenian accent shouting "Last one,last one" and holding a CD up in the air as if waiting to feed the hungry lions at the zoo.

How aware are the delegations that this is going to happen do you think JK ?

Some of the poorer countries privately press just a few handfuls and the writers have often financed it themselves. Usually the 50 CDs are grabbed by 10-15 fans and then sold for small fortunes either in the Foyer of the theatre or more recently on Ebay. Within 5 hours of the press conference you'll see the Bulgarian CD and press pack up on ebay for

I wanted to do a TV show about the entire Eurovision phenomenon which, of course, I witnessed first hand many times.
It is mainly comic but partly tragic, rather like most of our lives!

Which bit was the question?

nm

Only last week I threw out and ENTIRE collection of Tipsheet CD's because I have one already!
Check the car boot sales.
I'm sure they will turn up there!