Intervision Song Contest

Witness History

BBC

History, Personal Journals, Society & Culture

4.4 • 1.6K Ratings

🗓️ 12 May 2025

⏱️ 11 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In 1980, Finnish singer Marion Rung won the Intervision Song Contest.

Born in the 1960s, Intervision was the Eastern Bloc’s answer to Eurovision. It ran until 1980, although in 2025 Russia’s President Vladimir Putin ordered its revival.

Finland, which maintained neutrality during the Cold War, was one of the few countries to participate in both competitions. Marion Rung achieved top 10 Eurovision finishes in 1962 and 1973 before winning Intervision. She speaks to Ben Henderson.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.

Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.

(Photo: Marion Rung performing at the Intervision Song Contest in 1980. Credit: Juha Jormanainen/Shutterstock)

Transcript

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0:00.0	Before you listen to this BBC podcast, I'd like to introduce myself. My name's Stevie Middleton and I'm a BBC Commissioner for a load of sport podcasts. I'm lucky to do that at the BBC because I get to work with leading journalists, experienced pundits and the biggest sports stars. Together we bring you untold stories and fascinating insights straight from the player's mouths. But the best thing about doing this at the BBC is our unique access to the sporting world.
0:24.7	What that means is that we can bring you podcasts that create a real connection to dedicated sports fans across the UK.
0:31.3	So if you like this podcast, head over to BBC Sounds where you'll find plenty more.
0:39.5	Hello and welcome to the Witness History podcast from the BBC World Service.
0:43.9	We're the show that takes you back to the biggest moments in global history
0:46.9	by interviewing the people who are there.
0:48.7	We release a new episode every weekday, so follow us and turn on your notifications,
0:52.8	then you'll never miss a show.
0:54.5	Now, in early 2025, Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, ordered the revival of the
1:00.3	Intervision Song Contest. The competition was born in the 1960s as the Soviet Union's answer to
1:06.5	Eurovision. This was the time of the Cold War when the capitalist West lined up against the
1:11.6	communist USSR and its allies. But Finland maintained neutrality. And so, it was one of the few
1:17.9	countries to participate in both Eurovision and Intervision.
1:24.6	This is Finnish singer Marian Rung, singing at Eurovision in 1962, age just 16.
1:34.7	And here she is again in 1980, on a historic night for her country at Intervision.
1:41.7	So how did Marion get swept up in the great tussle between East and West?
1:46.6	I wanted to become a hairdresser. I wasn't really interested in singing as my work.
1:54.0	I was very shy, which I'm still very shy and insecure.
1:58.9	Marion grew up in a musical family.
2:02.5	After some encouragement from her mother,
2:03.7	she takes singing lessons.
2:05.3	Word of her talent spreads.
	...

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