EUROVISION SONG CONTEST - EUROVISION JURIES MAKE COMEBACK AFTER 'UNFAIR' VOTING

EUROVISION JURIES MAKE COMEBACK AFTER 'UNFAIR' VOTING

Jurors will have a say in the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest final after complaints of the potential bias of public televoting.

In the 2008 contest, former X Factor contestant Andy Abraham finished last after receiving 14 points for his song Even If, with Russia winning the 2008 contest having amassed 272 points.

And according to Sir Terry Wogan, who has commentated on the continental competition since the 1970s, European politics have become the overriding influence on deciding the eventual Eurovision winners and losers.

In response to threats of nation states and broadcasters withdrawing from the event, song contest organisers have opted to introduce a jury panel vote alongside the public ballot.

"Nothing is more democratic than the vote of the public. But a jury takes the opportunity to listen to the songs several times before they make up their minds," said Svante Stockelius, Eurovision's executive supervisor

"We believe a combination will make the show more interesting."

A jury vote was used up until 1997, when the public televote became the dominant force in Eurovision decisions.

When a jury vote was reintroduced at the semi-final stage this year, its influence saw the Swedish entrant proceed to the final, though a public-only vote would have seen it eliminated.

Italy and Austria did not take part in the 2008 contest, with Wolfgang Lorenz, the programme director of Austrian broadcaster ORF, saying in November last year that the competition was "clearly a sign of the complicated nature of a united Europe".

"We've already seen in 2007 that it's not the quality of the song, but the country of origin that determines the decision," he explained.

"As long as the song contest is a political parade ground and not an international entertainment programme, ORF has no desire to send more talent out of Austria to a competition where they have no chances."