3rd Semi-Final?

[Stargazer]

I think three semi-finals is a bit too much, especially if it would mean that fewer songs qualify for the final. Instead, since we're already up to 26 songs in the final - why not make it 30 songs in the final and have 12 songs from each semi-final qualify. More spots in the final means more of our favorites going through to the final.

 

[GRE]

No we need less songs in the Final.
26 are too many.
If we have each year Big5+host=6 countries,and then 6 countries from each of each semi (3*6=18).
Total 24 countries.

 

[AdelAdel]

Ok, I got another idea - how about abandoning semi-finals are returning to the system from before 2004. Since now there are about 40 countries and 26 slots - only the big 5 and ESC winner would qualify to the next ESC, instead all the countries that didn't take part in the previous one would participate, 40-6=34. This would mean that 14 lowest-placed countries wouldn't be able to participate next year. This way we would come back to the system from before 2004, but in a more extreme way.

 

[94ayd]

I thought Eurovision was about sharing. And if we applied your system, it would take years for some countries to take part together.

 

[rajo]

If we had 46 countries in, then the lowest 20 are out, actually every country except for Big 5+winner, and two more who were not even in the contest. So: No, thanks!

 

[AdelAdel]

Fine, so let's go back to one of my earliest ideas - abandon televoting, jury will have 100% vote. And don't complain about EBU losing money that way, ESC had no televoting until 1998 and the contest didn't bankrupt.

 

[rajo]

I also think that televoting was a stupid idea. German broadcasters are not entitled to profit from the calls, so it is of no use at least in the biggest TV market.

But my point is that, televoting is absolutely flawed: We have massive votes from immigrants not votings objectively but solely based on their origins, or we have one nation two countries like Greece and Cyprus, who are also Greeks, or Serbia/Montenegro/Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Hercegovina, or Albania/Kosovo/FYROM, millions of Russians living in the Ex-SSR.

And we also have people like me, who may like a lot of songs, but who are reluctant to spend their money on voting, or who are not voting massively but only once.

Either we should abolish televoting, or we should reform it: one vote per song is fair enough!

 

[Yamarus]

I am not a fan of televoting either, to be honest. But there is no way we are going back to 100% jury, people would scream "unfair" and denounce the juries as corrupt.

That is why I am a reluctant proponent of the current 50/50 system. It is the lesser of all evils, even though it is far from perfect.

 

[AdelAdel]

I'm just wondering what conditions need to be fulfilled for Cyprus NOT giving 12 points to Greece and the other way round. Because, like we see, even with 50/50 voting it's not possible. Juries are the only way for that not to happen.

 

[rajo]

Well, we always expect juries to be fair and objective, but maybe they aren't.

 

[AdelAdel]

When there were only juries around, the Cyprus-Greece duo didn't give maximum notes to eachother that often, and there were even contests when they didn't give eachother any points.

 

[Mickey]

Whatever you think about bloc voting, phone votes are absolutely vital for the contest. Televoting gives ESC a link with the popular music of the day. It makes the show relevant.

Back in the 90s we got into a situation where we had a long procession of jury-pleasing big ballads. Everyone sent what they knew the juries liked and so there was much less variety. There was no need to make music that the public listen to. Songs that were big international hits (UK 1996 being the classic example) weren't good enough to win ESC. And that's never a good situation to find yourself in.

Going back to a relegation format is also a very bad idea. Countries that are forced to sit out a year often don't come back.

I'm not against the idea of a third semi, but only if we exceed the current capacity of 46 countries.

 

[AdelAdel]

Whatever you think about bloc voting, phone votes are absolutely vital for the contest. Televoting gives ESC a link with the popular music of the day. It makes the show relevant.

Back in the 90s we got into a situation where we had a long procession of jury-pleasing big ballads. Everyone sent what they knew the juries liked and so there was much less variety. There was no need to make music that the public listen to. Songs that were big international hits (UK 1996 being the classic example) weren't good enough to win ESC. And that's never a good situation to find yourself in.

You're right, both: Ireland 1992 & 1993 were extremely overrated, while being so damn simple and boring. More unique songs in those years got left out.

 

[rajo]

In the meanwhile juries also have a taste in up-tempo and contemporary songs.

My impression from the split televote and jury votes so far is, that even up-tempo songs scored better with juries than with the audience, like Cyprus, who has no friends except Greece. Or Austria got 7 points from Belgian jury in the Semi, but none from the public.

Of course, juries also go for strong voices, which typically go with ballads. But ballads without an exceptional voice, are just boring for both the audience as well as the juries.

I think that Chiara, Niamh Kavanagh or Linda Martin would suffer a defeat nowadays even with juries, since their voices are not really special.

 

[AdelAdel]

I think that Chiara, Niamh Kavanagh or Linda Martin would suffer a defeat nowadays even with juries, since their voices are not really special.

Chiara and Niamh Kavanagh represented their countries again some time ago with split 50/50 voting and they placed extremely low.

 

[rajo]

Oh, I guess I missed that, since my interest in Eurovision eroded by 2007

 

[Matt]

Not with the televoting! So I took away the jury impact in 2008 and 2009

Why? Then you should do the same for all the other years as well. If it wasn't for the juries Serbia wouldn't have qualified in 2011.

 

[rajo]

I'm not gonna do that. I'll stick with the Top 10 of either televoting or combined voting. We don't know the rest of jury votes of 2008/2009, just their choices which eliminated the 10th place of televoting in 3 out of 4 ocassions.

I take the complete Top 10 of televoters instead in those years.