Friday 31 May 2013

So for those of you who want a voting change.....


I say simply this

Pfft!

Why?, may you ask, well it's in the rules. Section 1.2 to be precise

"Each Show is a state of the art, world class television production and
consists chiefly of successive live televised performances of songs by
artists entered by the Participating Broadcasters to represent their
countries"

Key words here " Television Production" - It's a TV show, it always has
been, and it always will be. Without the competition element, it's the X
Factor. This show begat that, in effect, so why try and turn the show back
into something it spawned?!?

Some of the suggestions for changing the voting are, frankly, laughable.
From doing away with the voting and announcing the songs, thereby ignoring
the television viewers of a television show (god forbid that people actually
watch "your" contest) - to announcing 26/29/44 points on a scoreboard (too
lengthy), to only having the finalists voting (thereby guaranteeing the
demise of the show because, why take part in the Semis and show the final
you can't vote for?)

The only semi sensible suggestion seems to be to raise the jury numbers,
Remember the "5 on a jury" was for a backup jury if the televote failed, and
now it does need more people - Maybe back to 11 or 16, but certainly more
than 5.

I also happen to think that the way they collect the votes isn't a problem.
It's totally and completely RIGHT that you should rank all the songs in
order - it's what a televote has been doing since 1997 after all!, I also
think its TOTALLY CORRECT that you merge the 2 lists because, as I have
intimated before, this then negates televoter and jury bias towards songs
and, unlike in the top 10 only scenario, allows songs to move up and down.
I totally accept, however, that 5 jurors have a lot of influence on the
songs, therefore increase that, but failing that, the way they do it is the
fairest way.

Also, to suggest that somehow its "statistically pointless" to publish the
averages is also misguided. There is no other way to do it! - There is no
1-8,10,12 from a jury or a televote to publish, as the votes are not gained
that way, so by showing the placing that the song scored across all 36/7
televotes and 39 juries tells you EVERYTHING you need to know. It tells you
that Spain were completely rubbish, It tells you that Irelands average was
clearly brought down by Juries and that Televoters liked it a bit, That
music professionals hated Hungary, but it connected with the Televote,

Anything that has an element of voting will have conspiracy theories, even
real life elections aren't immune - but you didn't hear a clamour for a
change in one person one vote when the USA went for Bush over Gore did you?
(Hanging chads not withstanding) - it looks clunky, and people will choose
not to understand it - but it's a TV show at the end of the day, the largest
televised non sporting show in Europe - we've seen that 100% televoting
spoils it, 100% jury - it is said - spoils it - 50/50 "spoils it" - but it's
the best we've got!!


(Taken from a post on the Eurovision_general mailing list)

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