It stopped being screened on Italian TV in 1998. Rumour has it that it was because they hadn't won it for quite a while and saw it as an affront to their musical heritage - but whether that's true or not I couldn't say.
Because the Italian broadcasting authorities are intrinsically evil, insane, mad and deranged, and do not appreciate high culture (like the supremely brilliant Austrian entry last year)
They certainly used to. I hadnt noticed or missed them in recent years. These days I wonder why the UK bother with it. The voting is a farce and I think the Balkan countries are going to dominate the contest for a couple of years to come as they are all voting for each others garbage.
As the UK came so badly last in last years event, they should have played by the rules and not been in this years event. It is rediculous that we are involved every year and never dropped because we put so much money into the European Broadcasting Union.
They may have actually entered as according to Terry Wogan, 65 countries entered orignally and they had to be whittled dowbn to however many took part on the night