Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest 1990

Switzerland was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 1990 with the song "Musik klingt in die welt hinaus", written by Cornelia Lackner, and performed by Egon Egemann[de]. The Swiss participating broadcaster, the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG SSR), selected its entry through a national final.

Before Eurovision

Regional selections

The Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG SSR) held a national final to select its entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 1990. Each division of SRG SSR — Swiss German and Romansh broadcaster Schweizer Fernsehen der deutschen und rätoromanischen Schweiz (SF DRS), Swiss French broadcaster Télévision suisse romande (TSR), and Swiss Italian broadcaster Televisione Svizzera di lingua italiana (TSI) — used its own method to select its entries for the final. Eligible songs were required to have been composed by songwriters from Switzerland or Liechtenstein.

It is unknown how the regional broadcasters selected their songs, but 136 total songs were submitted (with 11 being invalid), of which eight were selected: three each in French and Italian, and two in German.

Concorso Eurovisione della Canzone: Finale Svizzera

TSI staged the national final on 24 February 1990 at 20:20 CET at the Palazzo dei Congressi in Lugano. It was hosted by Emanuela Gaggini. The national final was broadcast on TSI, TV DRS (with commentary by Beat Antenen), and TSR (with commentary by Serge Moisson[fr]). Lys Assia, who won Eurovision for Switzerland in 1956 and also represented the country in 1957 and 1958; Furbaz, who represented Switzerland in 1989; and Les Frères Taquins made guest appearances.

Among the participants were Sylvie, who would later represent France in 1999 as Nayah, and Sandra Simó, who would later represent Switzerland in 1991.

The voting consisted of regional public votes which were sent to the three divisions of SRG SSR (SF DRS, TSR, TSI: German-Romansh, French, and Italian speaking, respectively), a press jury, and a jury of music experts. Applications for viewers to join the regional juries were sent via postcard until the week before the final, and 50 viewers from each canton were randomly selected to cast their votes to their broadcaster divisions via phone call. The winner was the song "Musik klingt in die welt hinaus", composed by Cornelia Lackner and performed by Egon Egemann[de].

At Eurovision

At the Eurovision Song Contest 1990, held at the Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall in Zagreb, the Swiss entry was the eighteenth entry of the night following Denmark and preceding Germany. The Swiss conductor at the contest was Bela Balint. At the close of voting, Switzerland had received 51 points in total; finishing in eleventh out of twenty-two countries.

Voting

Each participating broadcaster assembled a jury panel with at least eleven members. The jurors awarded 1-8, 10, and 12 points to their top ten songs.