European music competition, Eurovision, says the first Asia edition of the contest will be held in Bangkok on 14 November, with 10 Asian broadcast partners on board so far. Today's official announcement follows years of  attempting to bring the event to Asia. 

Organisers of the 70-year-old competition, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), said today the Asia launch opened "a new chapter... shaped by the region’s diversity, creativity and cultural identity, and grounded in the same spirit that has always defined the Contest: United by Music".

The finale will be hosted by Thai free-TV broadcaster Channel 3, which will be organising the Asia event alongside the EBU and licensee Voxovation in cooperation with leading broadcasters across the region.together with S2O Productions.

Countries confirmed as of today are Bangladesh, Bhutan (Bhutan Broadcasting Service), Cambodia (TV5 Cambodia), Laos (Vientiane Capital Television – VTE9), Malaysia (Media Prima – TV3), Nepal (Himalaya TV), Philippines (ABS-CBN), South Korea (produced by PK Inc), and Vietnam (Vietnam Television – VTV3).

In the coming months, participating broadcasters will choose their entries via national finals.

Martin Green CBE, Director of the Eurovision Song Contest at the EBU, said in today's announcement that "this is about evolving Eurovision together with Asia, building something that reflects the voices, identities and ambitions of the region, while staying true to what has always made the Contest special".