Shortly before launching the ABU Song Festival , the ABU had been considering the possibility to organize the '' ABU ASEAN TV Song Festival '' in Thailand . Historically , ASEAN song contests had been organized in periods between 1981 and 1997 , however since 2011 the ASEAN Festival had been organized between local Radio stations as '' Bintang Radio ASEAN '' . The ABU outlined a plan about a " television song festival " based on the style of the Eurovision Song Contest following the cancellation of '' Our Sound '' . Kenny Kihyung Bae , chosen to the project manager , attended Eurovision Song Contest 2012 in Baku , Azerbaijan to learn more about the contest before putting it to work
Eurovision Song Contest 2012
Eurovision Song Contest 2012
ABU TV Song Festival