In 1996, the EBU replaced its relegation system with an audio pre-selection. Juries listened to recordings from 29 countries to choose 22 finalists to join host Norway. Germany, Russia, Denmark, Hungary, Israel, Romania, and FYR Macedonia all failed to qualify for the final in Oslo. The contest was groundbreaking, with host broadcaster NRK using virtual reality in the voting and digital filters during some performances. Each participant also received a televised good luck message from a political figure from their country, ranging from junior ministers to presidents. The show was briefly threatened by a conductor's strike after NRK planned to cut their on-screen appearances to save time, though the dispute was settled amicably. The hosts were Morten Harket, lead singer of A-ha, and journalist Ingvild Bryn.
