So here are my suggestions for future changes:
Transparency
- ESC must be more transparent, if juries are still involved then all split votes by countries must be revealed and not just the combined split votes for all.
- The producers' choosing the running-order system must be re-changed. The system is obviously flawed, it lacks transparency, can be easily manipulated and is in general not fair. A random draw is the only way to go. However the voting-pattern pots must stay to avoid too much diaspora and bloc voting.
Clarify the concept
- Add a new rule that forbid constructed imported entries, an entry must be a product from the country it represents. The exception could be made if the songwriters/composers are active on the country's actual internal music scene (for instance this is common in neighbor countries or in some occasions where local acts are doing much music with foreign writers/composers).
- The same rule should apply to the acts, they must be an actual part of the countries internal music scene. They don't necessarily have to be citizens of the countries, but still be an active force there.
- If the juries are about to stay in the contest, there need to be some clear changes here:
- The juries must be clearly informed prior taking part about the concept of the contest and that they need to respect and understand it, and being "experts" they need to educate themselves a bit about the countries' music scenes (if they don't know any prior), both contemporary aswell as tradional music. The contemporary part can be easily handled, for instance the juries can get a quick review about the current biggest names in music in the countries and what local songs that has been hits (radio or commercially) for the past years. This is a way for the juries to get to know the countries a bit better and to understand their music scene.
- When voting the juries should have in mind that Eurovision is firstly a song contest. While vocals and performances count of course, and the overall package should be judged, the primary that should be judged are the songs, since this is a contest of original songs and not a singing talent show. In other words bad songs, or totally disconnected songs, should not be favored even if they are performed vocally great. Of course, a bad performance shouldn't help either, so it should go both ways but still the songs are the most important thing to judge here.
- When judging the songs, the juries should have some clear guidelines prior, and of course within those guidelines have the freedom to act as they want. The guidelines should just be guidelines, not a way of limiting the judges, more a helping tool for them to judge the entries.
The guidelines:
- The juries should take into consideration if the entry represent the country it is suppose to represent, in other words the pre-education on the countries' music and music scene should be fresh in mind and taken into consideration when judging the entries.
- The juries should first listen to the song quality, but have these things in mind aswell:
-- Does it sound connected to the native music scene?
-- Is it performed in native language?
-- Is it original, does it add diversity and freshness to the contest?
-- Is it contemporary in a sense that it reflects today's music and could it be a potential hit?
-- Has the song ethnic motives?
The juries should take all these things into consideration when judging the entires. Of course, the entries should be judged on their qualities and not just if they live up to any / or all of these, but these guidelines should be taken into consideration as part of the whole package just like vocals and performances are.
