Liechtenstein gets a TV station

1FLTV, the new television station for Liechtenstein, began broadcasting on the 15th August 2008. It is the world's first ever television station based in Liechtenstein.

It is stated clearly in the rules that any country wishing to enter the Eurovision Song Contest must have a national broadcaster that is an active member of the European Broadcasting Union. For Liechtenstein, a tiny Alpine microstate nestled between Austria & Switzerland, this has prevented them from entering in the past, until now.

If Liechtenstein do apply to join the contest, it won't be the first time. Liechtenstein wanted to participate in the 1969 contest, and got as far as choosing the song Un beau matin ("A Beautiful Morning") to represent it. Unfortunately, the country – having no broadcasting company of its own and thus not being a member of the EBU – was not allowed to participate.

Liechtenstein once again attempted to submit an entry to the contest in 1976, but as they still had no broadcasting service of their own, this was not admitted. Their entry would have been "Little Cowboy" by Biggi Bachmann.

1FLTV is a station that has been licensed by the government of Liechtenstein, so will most likely be eligible to join the European Broadcasting Union should it wish to. At the moment, the channel does not have its own website, but the startup and continued broadcasting of the channel is well documented on Liechtensteinian news sites.

As yet it is unclear whether 1FLTV would be interested in entering the Eurovision Song Contest for Liechtenstein, but for the first time, it is a real possibility.