Eurovision contest 'rigged'
British vocaliser Drop-off Richard was robbed of triumph in the 1968 Eurovision Sung Contest after Spanish people potentate Francisco El Caudillo fixed the vote, according to a documentary.Richard was the bookmakers' favourite to advance with his song Praise, however Spanish contestant Massiel pipped him to the title by just single point with La La La - Spain's number one of iI victories in the competition's 52-year history."It was a prepare," the documentary's producer Montse Fernandez Capital of Vanuatu quoted Spanish television system presenter Jose Calophyllum longifolium Inigo as expression. "Massiel south Korean won Eurovision with bought votes."Spanish people TV executives travelled Europe promising to purchase second-rate programmes and concerts billing strange acts of the Apostles in return for Eurovision votes, Inigo told the docudrama.Triumph was seen as vital to General Franco's fascist government in boosting Spain's image overseas, Fernandez Capital of Vanuatu said.Eurovision ended ballot by subject juries to avoid such scams said Bjorn Erichsen, film director of organisers Eurovision TV, though he had only heard of plots to switch votes, not buy them. "El Caudillo was genuinely so keen for Espana to succeed it. We're not talk just about North Atlantic Treaty Organization here or the EU, or political influence, we're talking about a pop song competition," Erichsen said laughing, in front adding: "I can't eject the hypothesis it might be true."
Spain only drafted Massiel in at the shoemaker's last moment subsequently Juan Manuel Serrat, world Health Organization was meant to sing at the British capital result, refused to perform La La La in Spanish sort of than his indigen Catalan - a regional nomenclature repressed during the one-man rule."If you await game at the propaganda newsreel, you earn with whole the parties that were organised and the way Massiel was turned into a subject hero ... it was excessive for a call festival."It all served to glorify the government," Fernandez said.Massiel was not able to be reached for comment.Although Congratulations went on to get a big attain in several European countries, Richard never won the Eurovision deed - his second submission Exponent to Whole Our Friends in 1973 finished third.Asked if Eurovision would enquire, Erichsen was emphatic: "No! Just to make Drop-off Richard a little happier and the Spanish victor a bit more unhappy?"Spanish channel La Sexta had been due to broadcast the docudrama on Sun night, just it was cancelled to show Real number Spanish capital celebrating winning Spain's Primera Liga football form of address.- REUTERS
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