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Followers of the Eurovision Track Contest who stay outdoors of taking part international locations will be capable to vote for his or her favourite acts subsequent yr, for the primary time within the competitors’s almost seven-decade historical past.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organizes the competition, introduced the set of main adjustments on Wednesday. They successfully put extra energy within the palms of the voters whereas broadening the worldwide voters.
“All through its 67-year historical past the Eurovision Track Contest has always advanced to stay related and thrilling,” Martin Österdahl, the Eurovision Track Contest’s govt supervisor, stated in an announcement. “These adjustments acknowledge the immense reputation of the present by giving extra energy to the viewers of the world’s largest stay music occasion.”
Beginning in 2023, solely viewers will resolve which acts qualify for the ultimate (versus a mix of jury and public vote, which had been the case for a few years). Juries — composed of music business professionals — will nonetheless forged votes for the ultimate, which shall be mixed with the results of the general public vote to find out the overall total rating.
And, for the primary time ever, viewers who stay outdoors of the a number of dozen taking part international locations can vote on-line utilizing what organizers name a “safe on-line platform utilizing a bank card from their nation.” Their votes shall be added up and transformed to factors that carry the identical weight as one taking part nation in each semi-finals and the grand last.
Eurovision representatives informed NPR over electronic mail {that a} full checklist of eligible international locations shall be printed at a later date, however confirmed that the U.S. is prone to be on it.
“It is foreseen that U.S. audiences will be capable to vote on-line,” they wrote.
Contest organizers say they’re making these adjustments now partly due to “the unprecedented nature of the voting irregularities” seen in final yr’s contest.
Days after the newest competitors wrapped in Might, the EBU introduced it had recognized “irregular voting patterns” within the jury votes of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania and San Marino. Montenegro, Romania and Poland have all pushed again on that accusation.
An EBU working group made this advice after exploring methods to guard the integrity of the occasion. Organizers don’t anticipate the brand new adjustments to drastically have an effect on which international locations qualify for the grand last: They are saying in an FAQ that they decided which international locations would have certified from the semi-finals between 2017 and 2022 utilizing solely the end result from most people.
“We noticed that, in almost all instances, when eradicating the Jury outcomes from the calculation, 9 of the ten qualifying international locations from every Semi-Ultimate stayed the identical,” they stated.
The tune that certified for the grand last beneath the earlier system — which “would have missed out if solely public votes had been counted” — went on to complete on the decrease finish of the ultimate scoreboard normally, they added.
Organizers stress that many parts of the beloved occasion (which drew 161 million TV viewers earlier this yr) will stay the identical.
“By additionally involving juries of music professionals in deciding the ultimate end result, all of the songs within the Grand Ultimate could be assessed on the broadest potential standards,” Österdahl stated. “We are able to additionally keep the custom of touring round Europe and Australia to gather factors and guarantee an exciting voting sequence with the winner solely revealed on the very finish of the present.”
Thirty-seven international locations will compete in subsequent yr’s contest, organizers say. Its semi-finals and grand last are set to happen in Might 2023 in Liverpool, which positioned second this yr after Ukraine.
Whereas it’s customary for the profitable nation to host the following contest, the EBU concluded earlier this yr that Ukraine couldn’t meet the “safety and operational ensures” required to placed on the occasion resulting from its battle with Russia (which organizers banned from competing after it invaded Ukraine in February).
Kalush Orchestra, the Ukrainian folk-rap group that presently holds the Eurovision title, initially pushed again on the willpower that it was unfit, however has since given the British metropolis its blessing.
“Taking part in in the identical place that The Beatles began out shall be a second we’ll always remember!” the band stated, in keeping with the Related Press. “Though we’re unhappy that subsequent yr’s competitors can not happen in our homeland, we all know that the folks of Liverpool shall be heat hosts and the organizers will be capable to add an actual Ukrainian taste to Eurovision 2023 on this metropolis.”
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