Following criticism of the previous edition, the Eurovision Song Contest voting procedure is being adjusted, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) announced on Friday. One of the measures is that viewers will now be able to cast a maximum of 10 votes instead of 20.
There has been criticism of the voting procedure in recent years. The Flemish broadcaster VRT, among others, contacted the EBU about the televoting, as did the Spanish broadcaster.
The Israeli entry had received the most votes in Belgium and Spain, while the professional juries did not award points to the Israeli singer's song. This led to speculation that the televoting had been manipulated.
The EBU has now announced a number of measures. "We have listened and we are acting accordingly," said Martin Green, director of the Eurovision Song Contest. He wants the contest to "remain a neutral zone" and wants the new rules to "prevent any abuse of the contest."
'Disproportionate' promo campaigns
Stricter rules on the promotion of entries top the list of changes. These are intended to discourage "disproportionate" promotional campaigns. Participating broadcasters and artists are not allowed to actively engage in third-party campaigns – including government agencies – that could influence the outcome of the vote, according to a code of conduct.
Until now, viewers could vote 20 times online, via text message, or phone call, using any payment method they have. That limit will be lowered to 10. Fans will be encouraged to spread their votes across multiple entries, the EBU says.
Finally, the professional jury will be expanded from five to seven per delegation, and it will also include music journalists, music teachers, and other creative professionals from now on. The jury votes will also count again in the semi-final. This was not the case in the last three editions.
It remains to be seen whether the measures will suffice for critical broadcasters. Several countries have indicated they will not participate if Israel is still in the competition. Israel's participation was initially scheduled for a vote, but that ultimately fell through.
The EBU says the list of participants will be announced before Christmas.
