The Eurovision Song Contest 1978 was the 23rd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, held on 22 April 1978 at the Grand Amphitheatre of the in Paris, France, and presented by Denise Fabre and Léon Zitrone. It was organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcaster (TF1), who staged the event after winning the for with the song "L'Oiseau et l'Enfant" by Marie Myriam. This was the first time that more than one presenter had hosted the contest, and the first to have a male presenter since the inaugural contest.
Broadcasters from twenty countries participated, the highest number of competing countries in the history of the competition at the time. and both returned to the contest. Denmark had not participated since , 12 years before.
The winner was with the song "A-Ba-Ni-Bi" by Izhar Cohen and the Alphabeta. This was 's first victory in the contest, and it was also the first winning song to be performed in a Semitic language. It was also the only winning song to be conducted by a woman, Nurit Hirsh. , , and rounded out the top five, with Belgium's runner-up finish being their best result in the competition at that point. finished last for the fifth time, gaining the first nul points after the new voting system was implemented in .
Location
upright|thumb|left|, Paris – host venue of the 1978 contest.
(TF1) staged the contest at the , a multi propose venue in the 17th arrondissement of Paris. Designed by French architect Guillaume Gillet, the venue was inaugurated in 1974.
Participants
Denmark returned to the competition after having been absent for twelve years, while Turkey did so after missing out two years. This meant that, for the first time, the contest had twenty entries competing.
Several of the performing artists had previously competed as lead artists representing the same country in past editions: Jean Vallée had represented ; and Norbert Niedermeyer as part of had represented as part of Milestones. In addition, Ireen Sheer representing Germany, had represented .
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sticky-header" style="clear:left"
|-
|+ Eurovision Song Contest 1978 participants
| Ireen Sheer
| ""
| German
|
| Jean Frankfurter
|-
! scope="row" |
| ERT
| Tania Tsanaklidou
| "Charlie Chaplin" <small>()</small>
| Greek
|
| Haris Andreadis
|-
! scope="row" |
| RTÉ
| Colm C. T. Wilkinson
| "Born to Sing"
| English
| Colm C. T. Wilkinson
| Noel Kelehan
|-
! scope="row" |
| IBA
| Izhar Cohen and the Alphabeta
| "A-Ba-Ni-Bi" <small>()</small>
| Hebrew
|
| Nurit Hirsh
|-
! scope="row" |
| RAI
|
| ""
| Italian
|
| Nicola Samale
|-
! scope="row" |
| CLT
| Baccara
| ""
| French
|
| Rolf Soja
|-
! scope="row" |
| TMC
| and Olivier Toussaint
| ""
| French
|
| Yvon Rioland
|-
! scope="row" |
| NOS
| Harmony
| <span style="padding-right:.15em;">"</span>"
| Dutch
|
| Harry van Hoof
|-
! scope="row" |
| NRK
| Jahn Teigen
| ""
| Norwegian
|
| Carsten Klouman
|-
! scope="row" |
| RTP
| Gemini
| "Dai li dou"
| Portuguese
|
|
|-
! scope="row" |
| TVE
| José Vélez
| ""
| Spanish
|
| Ramón Arcusa
|-
! scope="row" |
| SR
| Björn Skifs
| ""
| Swedish
|
|
|-
! scope="row" |
| SRG SSR
|
| ""
| French
|
|
|-
! scope="row" |
| TRT
| Nilüfer and Nazar
| ""
| Turkish
|
| Onno Tunç
|-
! scope="row" |
| BBC
| Co-Co
| "The Bad Old Days"
| English
|
| Alyn Ainsworth
|}
Format
The postcards were filmed live, featuring the artists making their way to the stage. They took a corridor, then an elevator. Leaving the lift, they were greeted by the previous participants and then made their entrances to the stage. The camera also made several shots of the audience, notably Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg.
Each song was accompanied by a 45-piece orchestra.
Contest overview<span class="anchor" id="Results"></span><span class="anchor" id="Participants and results"></span>
<!-- Anchors in the header are the old section names -->
The contest was held on 22 April 1978, beginning at 21:30 (CEST).
Fears of terrorist attacks like at the Summer Olympics 1972 in Munich and of stage invasions like in meant that security measures in and around the Palais des Congrès were particularly tight: 200 police officers, some of them as undercover agents, tried to prevent any potential incidents. Spectators had to go through metal detectors upon arrival at the Palais des Congrès.
|-
! scope="col" |
! scope="col" | Country
! scope="col" | Artist
! scope="col" | Song
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Points
! scope="col" | Place
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | 1
|
|
| "Born to Sing"
| 86
| 5
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | 2
|
|
| ""
| 0
| 20
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | 3
|
|
| ""
| 53
| 12
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | 4
|
|
| ""
| 2
| 18
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | 5
|
| Gemini
| "Dai li dou"
| 5
| 17
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | 6
|
|
| ""
| 119
| 3
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | 7
|
|
| ""
| 65
| 9
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | 8
|
| Co-Co
| "The Bad Old Days"
| 61
| 11
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | 9
|
|
| ""
| 65
| 9
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | 10
|
|
| ""
| 125
| 2
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | 11
|
| Harmony
| <span style="padding-right:.15em;">"</span>"
| 37
| 13
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | 12
|
| Nilüfer and Nazar
| ""
| 2
| 18
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | 13
|
|
| ""
| 84
| 6
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | 14
|
| Caline and Olivier Toussaint
| ""
| 107
| 4
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | 15
|
|
| "Charlie Chaplin"
| 66
| 8
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | 16
|
| Mabel
| "Boom Boom"
| 13
| 16
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | 17
|
| Baccara
| ""
| 73
| 7
|- style="font-weight:bold; background:gold;"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | 18
|
| and the Alphabeta
| "A-Ba-Ni-Bi"
| 157
| 1
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | 19
|
| Springtime
| "Mrs. Caroline Robinson"
| 14
| 15
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | 20
|
|
| ""
| 26
| 14
|}
Spokespersons
Each participating broadcaster appointed a spokesperson who was responsible for announcing the votes for its respective country via telephone. Known spokespersons at the 1978 contest are listed below.
- Kaarina Pönniö
- Matías Prats Luque
- Sven Lindahl
- Meral Savcı
- Colin Berry
Detailed voting results<span class="anchor" id="Scoreboard"></span>
<!-- Anchor in the header is the old section name -->
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|-
|+ Detailed voting results
|-
! colspan="2" |
! scope="col"
! scope="col"
! scope="col"
! scope="col"
! scope="col"
! scope="col"
! scope="col"
! scope="col"
! scope="col"
! scope="col"
! scope="col"
! scope="col"
! scope="col"
! scope="col"
! scope="col"
! scope="col"
! scope="col"
! scope="col"
! scope="col"
! scope="col"
! scope="col"
|-
! rowspan="20"
! scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#f2f2f2;" | Ireland
| style="text-align:right; background:#f2f2f2;" | 86 || style="text-align:left; background:#aaa;" | || 12 || || 3 || || 5 || || || 7 || 10 || || 10 || 5 || || 10 || || 10 || || 6 || 8
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#f2f2f2;" | Norway
| style="text-align:right; background:#f2f2f2;" | 0 || || style="text-align:left; background:#aaa;" | || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#f2f2f2;" | Italy
| style="text-align:right; background:#f2f2f2;" | 53 || 10 || 6 || style="text-align:left; background:#aaa;" | || || 1 || 4 || 8 || 6 || 1 || 1 || || 1 || 2 || 8 || 2 || || 3 || || ||
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#f2f2f2;" | Finland
| style="text-align:right; background:#f2f2f2;" | 2 || || 2 || || style="text-align:left; background:#aaa;" | || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#f2f2f2;" | Portugal
| style="text-align:right; background:#f2f2f2;" | 5 || || || 4 || || style="text-align:left; background:#aaa;" | || || 1 || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#f2f2f2;" | France
| style="text-align:right; background:#f2f2f2;" | 119 || 6 || 3 || 10 || 2 || 2 || style="text-align:left; background:#aaa;" | || 5 || 8 || 6 || 8 || 6 || 4 || 10 || 5 || 8 || 8 || 1 || 5 || 12 || 10
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#f2f2f2;" | Spain
| style="text-align:right; background:#f2f2f2;" | 65 || || || || 7 || || || style="text-align:left; background:#aaa;" | || || 8 || 2 || 4 || 7 || || 4 || 6 || 12 || 2 || 6 || 7 ||
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#f2f2f2;" | United Kingdom
| style="text-align:right; background:#f2f2f2;" | 61 || 3 || || || || 6 || 2 || 3 || style="text-align:left; background:#aaa;" | || 2 || 4 || 2 || 6 || 8 || 7 || 3 || || 5 || 2 || 5 || 3
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#f2f2f2;" | Switzerland
| style="text-align:right; background:#f2f2f2;" | 65 || || 5 || 1 || 1 || || 7 || 4 || 2 || style="text-align:left; background:#aaa;" | || 7 || 8 || || 6 || 2 || || 3 || 8 || 1 || 10 ||
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#f2f2f2;" | Belgium
| style="text-align:right; background:#f2f2f2;" | 125 || 12 || 7 || 6 || 6 || 4 || 12 || 2 || 12 || 10 || style="text-align:left; background:#aaa;" | || 5 || || 3 || 12 || 12 || || 7 || 7 || 4 || 4
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#f2f2f2;" | Netherlands
| style="text-align:right; background:#f2f2f2;" | 37 || || || 5 || || || || || 3 || || || style="text-align:left; background:#aaa;" | || || 4 || 1 || || 5 || 6 || 12 || || 1
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#f2f2f2;" | Turkey
| style="text-align:right; background:#f2f2f2;" | 2 || || 1 || || || || || || 1 || || || || style="text-align:left; background:#aaa;" | || || || || || || || ||
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#f2f2f2;" | Germany
| style="text-align:right; background:#f2f2f2;" | 84 || 1 || || 3 || 12 || 7 || || 10 || || 3 || 5 || 7 || 8 || style="text-align:left; background:#aaa;" | || 10 || 7 || 1 || || 3 || || 7
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#f2f2f2;" | Monaco
| style="text-align:right; background:#f2f2f2;" | 107 || 4 || 4 || 7 || 8 || 5 || 1 || || 10 || 5 || 6 || 10 || 5 || 7 || style="text-align:left; background:#aaa;" | || 4 || 10 || || 8 || 1 || 12
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#f2f2f2;" | Greece
| style="text-align:right; background:#f2f2f2;" | 66 || 7 || || 2 || 5 || 8 || 10 || 7 || || 4 || || || || || || style="text-align:left; background:#aaa;" | || 4 || 4 || 10 || 3 || 2
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#f2f2f2;" | Denmark
| style="text-align:right; background:#f2f2f2;" | 13 || || || || || || 6 || || || || || 1 || || || || || style="text-align:left; background:#aaa;" | || || 4 || 2 ||
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#f2f2f2;" | Luxembourg
| style="text-align:right; background:#f2f2f2;" | 73 || 2 || || 12 || || 12 || || 12 || 7 || || 3 || 3 || 2 || || 6 || 1 || 7 || style="text-align:left; background:#aaa;" | || || || 6
|- style="background:gold;"
! scope="row" style="text-align:left; font-weight:bold; background:gold;" | Israel
| style="text-align:right; font-weight:bold;" | 157 || 8 || 8 || 8 || 10 || 10 || 8 || 6 || 5 || 12 || 12 || 12 || 12 || 12 || 3 || 5 || 6 || 12 || style="text-align:left; background:#aaa;" | || 8 ||
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#f2f2f2;" | Austria
| style="text-align:right; background:#f2f2f2;" | 14 || || || || || 3 || || || || || || || 3 || 1 || || || 2 || || || style="text-align:left; background:#aaa;" | || 5
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#f2f2f2;" | Sweden
| style="text-align:right; background:#f2f2f2;" | 26 || 5 || 10 || || 4 || || 3 || || 4 || || || || || || || || || || || || style="text-align:left; background:#aaa;" |
|}
12 points
Below is a summary of all 12 points in the final:
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! scope="col" | N.
! scope="col" | Contestant
! scope="col" | Nation(s) giving 12 points
|-
! scope="row" | 6
|
| , , , , ,
|-
! scope="row" | 5
|
| , , , ,
|-
! scope="row" | 3
|
| , ,
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="6" | 1
|
|
|-
|
|
|-
|
|
|-
|
|
|-
|
|
|-
|
|
|}
Broadcasts<span class="anchor" id="Broadcasters and commentators"></span>
<!-- Anchor in the header is the old section name -->
Each participating broadcaster was required to relay the contest via its networks. Non-participating EBU member broadcasters were also able to relay the contest as "passive participants". Broadcasters were able to send commentators to provide coverage of the contest in their own native language and to relay information about the artists and songs to their television viewers. TF1 provided 29 commentary boxes in the auditorium for foreign broadcasters.
Known details on the broadcasts in each country, including the specific broadcasting stations and commentators are shown in the tables below.
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sticky-header"
|-
|+ Broadcasters and commentators in participating countries
|-
! scope="col" | Country
! scope="col" | Broadcaster
! scope="col" | Channel(s)
! scope="col" | Commentator(s)
! scope="col" |
|-
! scope="row" |
| ORF
| FS2
| Ernst Grissemann
| style="text-align:center" |
|-
! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2" |
| RTBF
| RTBF1
|
| style="text-align:center" rowspan="2" |
|-
| BRT
| TV1
| Luc Appermont
|-
! scope="row" |
| DR
| DR TV
| Jørgen de Mylius
| style="text-align:center" |
|-
! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" | YLE
| TV1
|
| style="text-align:center" rowspan="2" |
|-
|
|
|-
! scope="row" |
| colspan="2" | TF1
| Léon Zitrone
| style="text-align:center" |
|-
! scope="row" |
| ARD
|
| Werner Veigel
| style="text-align:center" |
|-
! scope="row" |
| ERT
| ERT, A Programma
|
| style="text-align:center" |
|-
! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" | RTÉ
| RTÉ
| Larry Gogan
| style="text-align:center" |
|-
| RTÉ Radio
| Liam Devally
| style="text-align:center" |
|-
! scope="row" |
| IBA
| Israeli Television,
|
| style="text-align:center" |
|-
! scope="row" |
| RAI
| ,