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Tonight on the Lithuanian State broadcaster LRT the first of a long series of episodes on antenna of the local preliminary round for the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest. All three candidates fell off after tonight.

Update: after tonight Dovydas, Elena and Vlad were found wanting. Donny Montell and Erica, the high scores.

A total of eight broadcasts of ‘ “Eurovizijos” atranka dainų konkurso nacionalinė ‘ or ‘ national Eurovision Song Contest preliminary round ‘, and the concept is on the complicated side, with conflicting reports that circulate on the internet. This is what we already know, but the past has already learned that the process still can be changed along the way. The following is therefore subject to the gradient:

Group A and Group B

There were initially three tenders held: a for composers and text writers, a for singers with a song (Group A) and one for singers without a song (Group B). Each singer by the broadcasting of that last group was linked to one of the submitted songs of the first registration. A total of 28 candidates were selected for the national final.

The first two broadcasts we get the sixteen candidates of Group A. A four-piece professional jury and the Lithuanian Viewer at home each have 50% control. Three of the eight candidates each fall.

From Saturday 23 January we get two Saturdays the twelve candidates of Group b. Three candidates are along with their songs off, on the basis of an equal voting system as with the earlier shows.

Then we get on Saturday 6 and 13 February the semifinals of groups A and B respectively ten and six candidates There take part, and in each broadcast will be on the basis of the previously saying voice system half the participants disabled. The singers of Group B this time may itself choose a song from the selection that the LRT had already made.

Semi-finals and final

On Saturday 20 February the semifinal place. The eight remaining candidates (five from Group A and three from Group B) will meet for the first time. They bring the same song as during the two previous broadcasts, and once again is half off.

Finally, on Saturday 27 February for the final of the long round. The four finalists for the last time their song, and again the jury members and the telestemmers together determine the outcome.

This was the first broadcast:

Certainly the first episode tonight on antenna. As I said, take eight candidates in it against each other with their own song. There is an old acquaintance takes part: Donny Montell ended on the Eurovision song contest 2011 in Baku 14th in the final with the song Love Is Blind. The Baltic country has since not done better in the Eurovision song contest.

The field tonight, on running order:

Alice Way – Hero
Dovydas Petrošius – Starlight
Behind the Moon – Did It All
Erica Jennings – Leading Me Home
Elena young lady – I Won’t Come Back
Vlad Max – Don’t Wanna Let It Go
Petunija – Tomorrow
Donny Montell – I’ve Been Waiting for This Night

The broadcast starts at 8 pm our time and can be followed online on two nets, LTV Televizija and LTV Lituanica. A high to exit: the broadcast was all recordedlast Tuesday, and is therefore not at all live. To view the full show is back on the YouTube channel of the LRT: