Eurovision Song Contest 1974 for Sweden), Bucks Fizz (winner in 1981 for the United Kingdom), and Celine Dion (winner in 1988 for Switzerland), all of whom launched successful careers. Based on the Sanremo Music Festival held in Italy since 1951, Eurovision has been broadcast every year since its inauguration in 1956, making it the longest-running annual international television contest and one of the world's longest-running television programmes. It is also one of the most watched non-sporting events, with audience figures of between 100 million and 600 million internationally. It has been broadcast in several countries that do not compete, such as the United
Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest 1988 Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest 1988 Germany was represented by mother and daughter duo Maxi & Chris Garden, with the song "Lied für einen Freund", at the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest, which took place on 30 April in Dublin. "Lied für einen Freund", written by prolific Eurovision duo Ralph Siegel and Bernd Meinunger, was the winner of the German national final, held on 31 March. Maxi & Chris Garden had finished second in the 1987 German final. One of the songs which failed to qualify for the 1988 German national final, "Das Beste" by male/female duo Duett, later became