At Eurovision
As only the "Big Four" and the winner of the previous contest were guaranteed a place at the final, San Marino had to qualify through a semi-final. The 2008 contest featured a new system for semi-final allocation in order to reduce the problems of neighborly and diaspora voting that occurred in years past. Following a draw held on 28 January 2008, San Marino was allocated a place in the first semi-final, held on 20 May 2008. Though only participating in the first semi-final, SMRTV announced that it would air both semi-finals in San Marino, which in turn allowed parts of Italy in its broadcasting area to watch the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time in several years.
Read more about this topic: San Marino In The Eurovision Song Contest 2008