Under previous rules, Britain's last place would have disqualified it.Mr Smith says the programme's appeal is due to its old-fashioned, Saturday night family entertainment values, coupled with a new audience among the gay community, which adores its cheesy glamour. The winner's song will be released commercially and will be prepared for the contest in Istanbul on 15 May.Eurovision still ranks highly with a public attuned to the aspirations of pop wannabes, thanks to Pop Idol. Last year's competition was watched by 7.9 million viewers, about 37 per cent of the available audience and more than the final Big Brother or The Last Night of the Proms There are even bigger incentives for the corporation. Britain is one of the main funding bodies with France, Spain and Germany, although the size is a commercial secret. Only one of the six songs will come via the academy.The public will still have the final say in a regional telephone, text message and interactive vote, but a panel of industry experts will guide them on what it takes to be a Eurovision winner.The programme is presented by Terry Wogan, whose irreverent commentary has become firmly associated with the contest. It has switched the programme, previously known as Song for Europe, from the graveyard of Sunday afternoons to a peak-time slot tonight and renamed it Eurovision: Making Your Mind Up in homage to one of the five British winners of the contest - Bucks Fizz in 1981.The selection process has varied from year to year with established performers, such as Lulu or Samantha Fox, or unknowns emerging through a talent show-style contest. The songs came from unknown or amateur writers through an arrangement with the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters, which invited anyone who wanted to contribute.

This was part of the problem, says Dominic Smith, a producer who has worked on the programme for several years."We could never attract professional, established writers because of [the contest's] somewhat tacky image," he said. And the record industry did not get involved until afterwards. It was all a bit hit and miss."Such was the process that resulted in the selection of Jemini, a boy-girl duo from Liverpool's club circuit whose zero score for an out of tune performance of "Cry Baby" was a first for Britain and an embarrassment to all involved.In consultation with the Sony record label, the BBC has recruited professionals who wrote songs for Westlife and Christina Aguilera and has groomed telegenic young performers - one boy band, one girl trio and four solo singers, two male and two female. "The performers tended to come from the cabaret club or cruise ship circuit. Boy George and the other former members of Culture Club have started legal action against Virgin Records for six years' worth of royalties they say they are owed. The singer, real name George O'Dowd, and other band members Jon Moss, Michael Craig and Roy Hay, claim they have been paid only half of their entitlement from worldwide sales.They have lodged a writ in the High Court alleging Virgin failed to account properly for royalties owed from compilation albums and sales in the United States.The four musicians are asking for Virgin to be forced to reveal how much they are owed, pay the outstanding money, and pay damages.

Virgin is said to have refused to produce books and records to the band's accountants, according to the writ.. Fans of serious music like to deride the Eurovision Song Contest as the home of the worst of lightweight pop, but this year the BBC is taking no chances in its selection of the nation's entrant. A large, modern house in the Estonian countryside is on offer at £100,000 from * HUNGARY A luxury villa with pond and 18.75 acres is for sale at realestate.escapeartist for about £200,000.* SLOVENIAAbout £76,000 will buy a small vineyard and a three-bedroom house from . And I will work only part-time, because I've got plenty to do with my pets."FACT FILE: PROPERTY IN THE NEW EU MEMBERS* CYPRUSPopular with holidaymakers and homebuyers. A new two-bedroom apartment close to the beach costs £70,000.* CZECH REPUBLICForeigners cannot own property directly so a company must be set up for the purpose. Prague is expensive, with many luxury flats costing upwards of £200,000.* SLOVAK REPUBLICThere are bargains. A two-bedroom flat in the Tatra National Park is for sale at just more than £30,000, through .* POLANDBest buys are in the countryside, for instance, has an unrestored granary in the forest near Poznan for less than £18,000.* LITHUANIA, LATVIA AND ESTONIATheir lakes and forests are attractive and property still appears inexpensive, with three-bedroom flats in the capitals for £20,000.