Well done to Ukraine for winning the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest. In this Newsletter we look back on the reactions to Jamala’s win and see all the fallout from one of the tensest voting periods of all time as well as plenty more goodies of Eurovision information for you.
In Robertson’s Reflection this week we look at what happens next with a Ukrainian Eurovision Song Contest. The show promised in Eastern Europe next year is likely to be very different.
And gosh a Ukrainian National Final is quite a step away from a Melodi Grand Prix or Melodifestivalen. There have been too many voting scandals and controversies in recent years for a broadcaster to dare make it not look transparent in the extreme. The three person jury this year spent more time analysing and critiquing each of the songs than there was music on stage. Furthermore a voting system for televoting limiting each phone to one vote was incredibly strong, but such discipline was needed to reduce conflicts and Eduard Romanyuta style vote domination. The competition element is extremely serious and needs to be taken properly in a Ukrainian culture marred by all sorts of issues with election results.
Look again at Junior Eurovision 2013 for one example. Junior Eurovision had been using the producer led running order before, but in 2013 NTU decided to show how ‘fair and transparent’ the process was by insisting on a running order draw. It remains the last Eurovision Contest of any kind to be done in this way. Expect a Ukrainian broadcaster though resorting back to this message as a much needed response to the question of how a Ukrainian TV producer can ever give Russia a ‘fair’ running order slot.
Remember as always to read the Newsletter in full for the complete picture. Keep subscribing to get Eurovision updates all year round from the ESC Insight team.