Editing Eurovision Song Contest 1956 (section)

== Production and format ==
{{further|Rules of the Eurovision Song Contest}}
[[File:Marcel Bezençon (1980).jpg|thumb|right|[[Marcel Bezençon]] ''(pictured in 1980)'' was instrumental in the creation of the contest as president of the EBU's Programme Committee.|alt=Black-and-white photograph of Marcel Bezençon in 1980]]
A planning sub-group, headed by Eduard Hass of SRG SSR, was formed following the sign-off on the organisation of the event to build out the [[Rules of the Eurovision Song Contest|rules of the competition]]. Taking inspiration from the Sanremo Music Festival and the Venice International Song Festival as a basis in planning the new contest, the group made several amendments and additions to these rules to suit its international nature.{{sfn|Roxburgh|2012|pp=93–96}}<ref name="decade">{{cite web |last1=Zwart |first1=Josianne |title=A decade of song: Eurovision winners through the years (1956–1959) |url=https://eurovision.tv/story/a-%20decade-of-song-eurovision-winners-through-the-years-1956-1959 |publisher=[[European Broadcasting Union]] (EBU) |access-date=29 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171104115113/https://eurovision.tv/story/a-%20decade-of-song-eurovision-winners-through-the-years-1956-1959 |archive-date=4 November 2017 |date=4 November 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Venice">{{cite web |title='Made in Italy': How Eurovision almost ended up in Venice annually! |url=https://eurovision.tv/story/eurovision-almost-in-venice-annually |publisher=[[European Broadcasting Union]] (EBU) |access-date=29 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220513065229/https://eurovision.tv/story/eurovision-almost-in-venice-annually |archive-date=13 May 2022 |date=13 May 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> Ideas suggested but ultimately rejected during this planning phase included featuring each song a second time with a piano accompaniment instead of orchestral backing, as well as technical initiatives such as a separate producer from each participating broadcaster involved in the contest's organisation. Prize money for the winners was also ruled out at this stage.{{sfn|Roxburgh|2012|pp=93–96}}<ref name="diamond" /> The rules of the contest were finalised and distributed to EBU members in early 1956. The rules set out in detail the criteria for the participating songs and performers; production details and requirements; timelines for the submission of materials by the participating broadcasters; the method by which the winning song would be determined; details related to the financing of the event; and the responsibilities which lay with the host broadcaster and the participating broadcasters.<ref>{{cite web |title=Exclusively from the archive: The Rules of 1956! |url=https://eurovision.tv/story/exclusively-from-the-archive-the-rules-of-1956 |publisher=[[European Broadcasting Union]] (EBU) |access-date=31 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202185547/https://eurovision.tv/story/exclusively-from-the-archive-the-rules-of-1956 |archive-date=2 December 2020 |language=en-gb |date=18 December 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref>{{sfn|EBU|1956}}

The inaugural Eurovision Song Contest was produced by the Italian-language radio broadcaster {{lang|it|[[Radiotelevisione svizzera|Radio svizzera italiana]]|i=unset}} (RSI), in cooperation with the television service of SRG SSR, which brought a [[Production truck|television production truck]] from [[Zurich]] to Lugano.{{efn|In 1956, SRG SSR had a single television service, which was the only one operating in the country. This service was directly managed by the corporation with a provisional license, and had two production centers, one in Zurich for German-speaking Switzerland and one in Geneva for French-speaking Switzerland.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://www.srgssr.ch/fileadmin/dam/timeline/PDF/Buecher_Geschichte_der_SRG/Geschichte-der-SRG-Band-1-Teil-1_de.pdf|title=Radio und fernsehen in der Schweiz|pages=175–186|language=de|publisher=[[Swiss Broadcasting Corporation]]}}</ref>}}<ref>{{Cite news |date=9 May 1956 |title=Une série d'émissions du Tessin |trans-title=A series of broadcasts from Ticino |language=fr |page=6 |work=Journal et feuille d’avis du Valais |location=[[Sion, Switzerland|Sion]], Switzerland |url=http://www.e-newspaperarchives.ch/?a=d&d=FDV19560509-01.2.53 |access-date=31 December 2023 |via=[[E-newspaperarchives.ch]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=26 May 1956 |title=Für Radiofreunde: Die Schweiz gewinnt den europäischen Chansonswettbewerb |trans-title=For radio fans: Switzerland wins the European chanson competition |language=de |page=4 |work=Oberländer Tagblatt |location=[[Thun]], Switzerland |url=https://www.e-newspaperarchives.ch/?a=d&d=OTB19560526-01.2.25 |access-date=31 December 2023 |issn=2673-2157 |via=[[E-newspaperarchives.ch]]}}</ref> [[Franco Marazzi]] served as director of the event on behalf of RSI, with [[Rolf Liebermann]] overseeing the production and the jury deliberations on behalf of the EBU as its executive supervisor and jury president.<ref name="ESC1956" />{{sfn|Roxburgh|2012|p=100}}<ref>{{Cite news |date=28 May 1956 |title=Malgré 'Refrain', il n'y eut que peu de smokings... |trans-title=Despite 'Refrain', there were only a few tuxedos... |language=fr |page=7 |work=Gazette de Lausanne |location=[[Lausanne]], Switzerland |url=https://www.letempsarchives.ch/page/GDL_1956_05_28/7/article/2796396/ |access-date=8 November 2023 |issn=1010-206X |oclc=1367317950}}</ref>

Each participating broadcaster submitted into the contest a maximum of two songs not exceeding three to three-and-a-half minutes in duration, which must have been solely original compositions.{{sfn|Roxburgh|2012|pp=93–96}}{{sfn|EBU|1956}} They had sole discretion on how to select their entries for the contest but were strongly encouraged by the EBU to hold their own national contests to determine their representatives.{{sfn|EBU|1956}} Following the performance of all songs, the winner was determined by an assembled jury composed of two individuals from each country, with each individual member rating secretly each song between one and ten, including those representing their own country, with higher scores given to more appreciated songs.{{sfn|EBU|1956}} The jury followed the contest in the [[Contract bridge|bridge]] room in the same venue in Lugano through a small television screen, replicating the conditions as close as possible to how viewers at home would watch the contest.<ref>{{Cite news |date=26 May 1956 |title=Alla canzone svizzera ‘Refrain’ il ‘Gran Premio Eurovisione 1956’ |trans-title=The Grand Prix Eurovision 1956 to the Swiss song 'Refrain' |work=[[Corriere del Ticino]] |location=[[Lugano]], Switzerland |page=2 |language=it |issn=1660-9646 |oclc=1284212173 |quote=[...] ma durante quel venti minuti che i giurati hanno dedicato alla fase conclusiva della loro deliberazioni nella sala del bridge il brioso duo del 'Rossignols' e i tre argutissimi menestrelli si sono prodotti [...] |trans-quote=[...] but during those twenty minutes which the jurors dedicated to the final phase of their deliberations in the Bridge room the lively duo 'Rossignols' and the three very witty menestrels performed [...]}}</ref>{{sfn|EBU|1956}} The winning song was thus that which gained the highest score from the votes cast by all jury members.{{sfn|Roxburgh|2012|pp=93–96}}{{sfn|EBU|1956}} In the event of a tie between two or more entries all songs with the highest score would have been declared winners.{{sfn|EBU|1956}}

In news reports at the time, according to one Dutch juror, the jury members were removed from the jury room once they had cast their votes and were therefore unable to follow the tabulation of the final results.<ref>{{Cite news |date=28 May 1956 |title=Jury mocht niet bij telling in Lugano |trans-title=Jury were not allowed at the count in Lugano |language=nl |page=4 |work=[[De Telegraaf]] |url=https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:110586508:mpeg21:a0111 |access-date=5 November 2023 |location=[[Amsterdam]], Netherlands |oclc=643834779 |via=[[Delpher]]}}</ref> The jury members from Luxembourg were unable to attend the contest in Lugano, and subsequently the EBU allowed two Swiss nationals to vote in their place.<ref name="ESC1956" />{{sfn|Roxburgh|2012|p=99}} This would remain the only contest in which many of these rules would be utilised, and several changes were made ahead of the 1957 contest. These included restricting each country to only one song, expanding the number of performers allowed to participate for each country, introducing a more visible voting system, and restricting each country from voting for their own entry.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Escudero |first1=Victor M. |title=#ThrowbackThursday to 60 years ago: Eurovision 1957 |url=https://eurovision.tv/story/throwback-thursday-1957 |publisher=[[European Broadcasting Union]] (EBU) |access-date=3 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180102163146/https://eurovision.tv/story/throwback-thursday-1957 |archive-date=2 January 2018 |date=26 October 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Each song was accompanied by a 24-piece orchestra, with members of the Radiosa Orchestra supplemented by strings of the Italian Swiss Radio Symphony Orchestra, presided over by the contest's musical director, [[Fernando Paggi]].{{sfn|Roxburgh|2012|pp=93–96}}{{sfn|EBU|1956}} Each participating broadcaster was allowed to supplement the orchestra with their own musical director for the performances of their entries, with the host musical director also [[conducting]] for those which did not appoint their own conductor.{{sfn|Roxburgh|2012|pp=93–96}}{{sfn|EBU|1956}} Broadcasters were required to submit to the EBU by 10 May 1956 [[Sheet music|scores]] for their participating songs for use by the orchestra, audio recordings of each song, and copies of the songs lyrics in the original language, as well as translations into French or English to aid the jury members and commentators.{{sfn|Roxburgh|2012|pp=93–96}}<ref name="diamond" />{{sfn|EBU|1956}} The confirmed selection of each country's musical director (if separate to that of the host) was required to be communicated between 21 and 24 May.{{sfn|EBU|1956}} Rehearsals in the contest venue with the competing artists and the orchestra began on 21 May 1956.{{sfn|Roxburgh|2012|pp=93–96}}

According to the rules, the order in which the countries and songs were performed was to be determined artistically by the host broadcaster, with input and support by the musical directors from each country.{{sfn|Roxburgh|2012|pp=93–96}}{{sfn|EBU|1956}} However, a draw determining the order of countries seems to have taken place in [[Gardone Riviera|Gardone]] a few days prior to the contest.{{efn|A meeting of EBU's working group GTV/2 (Eurovision) took place from 21 to 25 May in Gardone.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=March–April 1956 |title=Nouvelles internationales : Calendrier des conférences et réunions internationales intéressant à quelque titre la radiodiffusion |trans-title=International News: Calendar of international conferences and meetings of any interest to broadcasting |journal=Bulletin de l'U.E.R. |language=fr |publisher=[[European Broadcasting Union]] (EBU) |location=[[Geneva]], Switzerland |volume=7 |issue=36 |page=211}}</ref>}}<ref name="contestAV" /><ref name="popolo">{{Cite news |last=Biscossa |first=Giuseppe |date=26 May 1956 |title=A une romantica canzone della Svizzera francese il G. Premio Eurovisione 1956 della canzone europea |trans-title=A romantic song from French Switzerland was awarded the 1956 Eurovision Grand Prix for European song |url=https://www.sbt.ti.ch/quotidiani-public-pdf/main_part.php?fullscreen=true&paper=gdp&day=26&month=5&year=1956&page=2&allpages=1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 |access-date=4 January 2024 |work=[[Giornale del Popolo]] |location=[[Lugano]], Switzerland |page=2 |language=it |issn=1660-9662 |oclc=173873718}}</ref>