PROPOSED METHOD :
This just a rough idea. You need not read this if not intirely interested, as it is
NOT my prime-target of illiminating the semi final round.
EUROVISION PRE-SELECTION :
This system is based on the audio pre-selction which took place to determine the finalists
of the 1996 Eurovision Song Contest, with some adjustments in order to make it as fair as possible and corrupt-free....
Houndreds of judges across Europe listen to the final songs on audio will vote their preferances
to and decide who goes to the final.
METHOD
12 individual judges in each country (not a jury), listen to the enteries at least twice.
After a week, each individual judge hands his personal top-ten to the EBU. The EBU convert this into the famous 1 to 12 points system.
Needless to say, the 20 songs with highest scores are the finalist, joing the Big Four and the host country on stage
for the live contest.
HOW ARE OUR JUDGES ?
So you noticed I said "judges" and not "jurors". As each judge should be voting seperately,
and not as part of a national jury.... why?
If each judge is an individual, answering ONLY to the EBU and
not his national broadcaster, he/she need not neccsarily know fellow judges. This may avoid corrution or lobbying votes between
international jurors : "we give you twelve, you give us twelve... and we both qualify". Suspicions to this have arose throughout
the years.
Furthermore. Individuals results can be more accurate, instead of combining a top-ten of a particular country.
From more than 30 possible contenders, an 11th place result and a 30th place is worth
the same number of points (zero), while it is obvious that they like the 11th place (a top third) instead of a last place.
Individual judges can enter their top ten, and every single individaul result matters.
There is a more accurate table here.
There is no significance who wins the pre-selections, and who finishes 10th
or 15th for example. What is crucial are the lower results (17th to 23rd in particular), as they are the ones which battle
for a slot in the Final. These are the songs that depend on the accuracy of the vote, for every single individual point.
side note : why should judges only rank their top ten ?
Keep it easy for the judges. Accuratly hudging 30+ songs is too hard and borning.
It is cruel to force the judges to listen to all songs more than twice, especially if they dont like half of them.
After listening to each song twice, a judge can decide which few he would like to listen
to again in order to rank them Best to tenth, he may ignore all the others.
APPOINTMENT OF JUDGES
* 12 in each country
* citizen of country -no immigrants to avoid home-voting
* try to keep it an equal number of sexes
* mostly music fans and not professionals, but a few from the industry won't do any harm
* vary the ages from 14 to 64 (and over if possible)
* between 2-4 OGAE fans - they care about quality
HOW ABOUT SOMETHING MORE RADICAL ?
12 members X 38 countries = 456 judges - not bad for democracy.
However, a third party opinion can only make a better judgment.
How about judges from non-participating countries. it wont be a problem for the EBU to contact individuals
(including some fans) in countries such as Italy, Austria, Hungary, Luxembough, Slovakia. 4-5 judges in each country to give
their vote.
How about something more radical ? Another 50 or so judges in non-european countries such as Canada,
Australia, South Afrcia, Japan, China & Taiwan, Latin America and even the USA.
Obviosuly, there need not be 12 persons from each country, but an outside vote can only aid a more democratic
result. Afterall, the aim is to allow the best songs to proceed to the finals, based on the widest opinion.
.
IS THIS SYSTEM THE BEST ?
No system is faultless, a eurovision Utopia can only be achieved in re-uniting both the
Soviet Union and Yugoslavia, Greek annexation of Cyprus, French annexation of Monaco and the break up Belgium as parts of
Netherlands and France. Need I say that Israel and Armenia are not even in Europe ?
Just typing such silly remarks is nasty sarcasim.
Seriously. The aim here is to make a fair competition, staging th best national enteries
and avoid the hastle and expenses of the Semi-final and avoiding the staging of songs which do not qualify anyways.
500-600 judges deciding who enters the finals is a little harsh, instead of
allowing all of Europe to televote as we're used to, but trying to find is as fair, just and sensible solution for a
bad situation.
