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What the new format means
The winners and losers
The most notable losers initially are Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Belarus, Greece, Armenia, Hungary and Moldova, who all lose their automatic place in the 2008 final. Although the rules of the 2007 event clearly stated that a top ten finish would not guarantee an automatic place in the 2008 final, it is likely that these countries will feel aggrieved. This is especially true for Bulgaria and Belarus, as they have never qualified from the semi finals before.
The news is not all bad for them, as the history of the Eurovision Song Contest since the semi final was introduced is that pre-qualified songs fair badly at the event. In 2006, only two of the fourteen pre-qualified finalists finished in the top half of the scoreboard. Only five countries from fourteen that did not take part in the 2007 semi final finished in the top half of the final scoreboard in Helsinki.
The winners are most likely to be European island nations such Iceland, Ireland, Malta and Cyprus who have all seen their results fall sharply since the introduction of so many new countries. Countries such as Portugal and Israel, Belgium and The Netherlands will also feel additional hope. They are also more likely to attract stronger candidates due to a greater chance of qualification.
The counter argument to the political voting view is that 'Western Countries' do not send good enough entries. Therein lies a catch 22 situation, because performers in many countries do not see how they could qualify even with a good song. As a result some countries have struggled to find suitable singers for a national selection show or an internal selection. Evridiki and Edsilia Rombley were both big names at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2007, and both tipped to do well in the final, neither succeeded in passing from the semi final.
The Big Four (France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom) and the host country are guaranteed a place in the final, however this has been a disadvantage since the introduction of the semi final system with the Big Four consistently featuring near the bottom of the scoreboard. Their song is only heard once, whereas the semi finalists songs are heard twice by people watching both shows. By splitting the comeptition in half, this effect may be reduced slightly, but it still seems that being a high financial contributor is ironically, a serious disadvantage to success at the competition.
The greatest winner here seems to be the Eurovision Song Contest and its fans and viewers. The contest will become (slightly) less predictable, it is likely to promote and attract higher quality names and talents to the event.
For more information on the changes click here and here.
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- National finals 2008: which runner-up should have won?
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RTS gave an explanation and more pictures about logo:
url=http://ww1.rts.co.yu/euro/jedna_vest.asp?source=komentar&IDNews=483]http://ww1.rts.co.yu/euro/jedna_vest.asp?source=komentar&IDNews=483/url]
Yes, it's long ago Portugal gave their 12p to Spain.
The Neighbours-Votes, are only here, because this Neighbours have the same taste, or are living on the other Side of the cross (nobody spends so much Money for a Neighbour Country). That´s Diaspora-voting, too. if there is only 1 Call per Phone, the Immigrants can only vote 1 Time for their Country, so they wouldn´t influence the Votes so much. When there was Jury-Voting, there was realla Neighbour-Voting, too. A Jury Member can really say "The Song is good, but I don´t like the Country, I like this Country with the bad Song, so I vote for this". OK, this wasn´t so extremely like today. But there was 12 Points from Greek to Cyprus and back, a big Skandinavian Block, Ireland and United Kingdom, the South Staates...
Correction: Portugal wont give top to spain anymore cos......... there are so many moldovans and ukrainians...... so 10 and 12 from portugal will always go to moldova and ukraine with 100% televot. 
Sorry Lucky but 1call 1 vote won't help.... you still have the neighbourly voting etc....
There needs to be something Radical - the 2 semi finals won't sort it out either.
Think we have to consider stopping Televoting, bringing back Juries, monitoring Juries to ensure bias doesn't show over the years...... Hmmm, doesn't sound good does it. Maybe the most Radical suggestion of all - STOP the contest altogether and accept its been ruined.
The only Solution is the 1-Phone-1Call-Rule
2 Semi Finals.... will it really make any difference?
Neighbourly, block, political voting - whatever you call it will continue in the final....
So, there will be the Baltic love in - from Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia up to Finland..... Not forgetting the Russian friends.
....Finland, as well as the Baltic neighbours above, can also look to Sweden and Norway. Oh, sorry, forgetting Denmark.
Lets head down to the Black Sea and we find the Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Turkey club..... again with Russia and Ukraine knocking on the door too.
Hmmm, Ukraine and Russia.... two big countries with lots of friendly neighbours and old connections.
As for Belarus..... it has Russia, Ukraine, the Baltics and even Poland.....
I won't even start on the Adriatic set - from Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia... down to Greece and bodering on Hungary, Romania......
Heading West there is the traditional swapping of 12 points between Portugal and Spain, with Andorra liking Spain too.
Sorry, but Televoting will NEVER work. It isn't a question of good songs - it is just geograpghy, history, politics. VERY SAD but true.
People in the West are not against people in the East - they are against the ridiculous voting patterns. And yes, there are some guilty Western countries (see above) - but the contest ran for decades and results overcame the voting. No more - now it is just a terrible joke.
And before anyone says the songs are better in the East - just look at the results of the recent Dance contest. It followed exactly the SAME PATTERN. Neighbouring countries swapping votes.
It's sad but I cannot see a way that ESC can recover or survive long term.
Eurovision 2008,
I still think what I said before no matter what you say. That's my opinion about all what happened recently in ESC.
About Slavic victories. You know, this wasn't the thing at all. I was talking about the voting as such. If you think that neighbour voting to make somebody a winner will make this contest interesting, I suggest you to think again 
This year only Ukraine received points from almost all countries (except Albania) and this is what this contest is about. Not the top3 highest points from neighbours and your're already in top10.
I like that the competition is growing but you have to admit that it can't stay in the same format...it's just pissing people off. Why do you think this topic has lots and lots of coments, cause everybody understands that this format in nowdays is not working anymore...no Western countries near the top10, 5 ex-USSR countries in top10, FYROM in the final AGAIN, Hungary and Latvia lost about 100 points in final compared to semi-final etc
You qouted: "And btw, only 3 countries of Ex USSR are Slavic"
Well, that was not the point here, but if you wish..... These 3 countries were voting extrimely neighbouring, all 3 top points to neighbours and the rest 3 neighbours didn't receive less than 5 points.
@sander arusoo
No. The picture is showing top 10 countries in 2007.
Two semifinals will be devided by draw.
is it that way ,thet the red countryes are one semifinal and the grey ones the others ?
It is much more fair this way. Is it already known when the semi finals are?
I listened to all songs from 2000 and the good western countries with great songs got in top 10 but eastern did int when west got good songs they do well and when eastern countries sends good songs like in 2007 they do great western songs are nice but nearly same rhythm for everyone eastern songs are different they are more nicer and refreshener i know nothing will change because of me but if WEST are dissapointed the send differrent song from everyone else then you gonna do well!!!
@ pissa rreira
Yes Istanbul wasnt perfect either, but it's the only show I remember, since the others didn't impress me that much. And yes, Kiev had a very boring show, I remember I wished it finally ended so that the songs started... As for Athens, I didn't like the stage, it looked very empty. The good thing with Helsinki was the sound... just perfect. The presenters were a bit cold, though.
The Big 4 should compete in the semis AND the other 42 should all provide equal funding to enter.
Simple solution.
At last EBU did a good job to make to semis. Cause this contest is becoming mainly a contest for slavic countries in two blocs - ex-USSR and ex-Yugoslavia. I think they should be in one group and Westerns + Baltic block in other. And I think the slavs can now blame themselves for this outcome...have to stop be so childish
And maybe I missed this, but I didn't read anywhere how in this case will big4 and the host country vote or they won't vote at all in semis???
some justice at last.
@ carles
i absolutely agree, FYROM will qualify whatever they put on stage , even a lamp post! i also agree that the voting the last 2 years has been boring and predictable and stupid
@ Marino 2008
I agree with you but jury can be bought for example
Netherlands buys Russian jury member so they need to give Netherlands points!!! haven't you thought bout that
I don't know what will happen with the new system, but it's worth trying something different. Am I the only one completely BORED during the voting, while it used to be the most exciting part of the evening?
I suggest a song for Macedonia next year: a person walks into the stage and say: "OK, neighbours, start voting for me!!" The result will be the same than in previous years and it will save us time.
@ Khalid GR Eurovision Specialist
NOPE, Istanbul 2004 wasn't that good (the sound was dreadful and amateurish & they put a grandpa presenting a show that's supposed to be glamourous)
Kiev 2005 was by far and away the worst show since 1988 (a shrieking female presenter, a male presenter that seemed bored to be there, technical problems during Portugal, Iceland & i think some other performances that hindered their chances of qualifying) But the [b]cherry on the cake[/b] really came when people in the audience strategically placed close to the cameras yelled in [b]English with STRONG SLAVIC accent[/b] Romania Romania, Moldova Moldova, Bulgaria Bulgaria, but not a single western country.
Athens 2006 (fabulous stage, but silly female presenter and daft male presenter)
Helsinki 2007 had a simple but very finnish stage and the presenters were just [b]Perfect[/b].
@ Sanio Silva
Yes, with the jury system there was some neighbour voting and very dubious voting patterns happened too, [b]BUT[/b] it never got to this extent, it never even came close to what happened this year. I for one predicted correctly 38 of the 42 twelve points. And I was only trying to guess the 12s. I would have guessed a whole lot more if i tried to guess the 8s&10s. The voting this year was simply [b]RIDICULOUS[/b] and [b]BORING[/b] because too predictable. While in the past (even with the sometimes unreliable juries) the voting used to be the best part of the show, because it used to be [b]UNPREDICTABLE[/b] and thus exciting: many times we had to wait until the last jury to know who was the winner.
Right, first off can we stop this idea that Eastern European countries always send great songs and the west doesn't. It ain't true but neither is the opposite. Andorra and Iceland were robbed this year of a final position, and the big 4 have sent great songs. Germany (2004, 2006, 2007) is very good consistently, the UK(2005, 2006) and France (2005, 2007) are very good too, Spain is a bit iffy but not bottom 4 every contest iffy.
I don't care were the song is from as long as it is good and they come both sides of the east/west divide. This year Russia, Sweden, Moldova, Andorra, France, Belarus and Georgia were my personal faves. I like the changes for the most part but don't think it goes far enough. I am in complete agreement with the people that say about 1 vote per line rule because I am Irish and the Lithuania vote sticks out a mile here.
About quality of ESC-shows: If you look at the long history of ESC, it does not seem logical to expect that big countries will organise the best ESC-events. It is often the eager smallish countries that have put up much better shows than the big countries who do not care about the event at all. In the 1970s Netherlands 1976, and Israel 1979 are in my opinion the best shows, while UK 1977 and France 1978 are rather boring. And Germany 1983 definitely does not rank very high. The Irish ones were really good in the 1990s, UK 1998 not. (I think UK best efforts are 1968 and 1974.) Italy 1991, surprisingly, was pretty dreadful.
I am now mainly considering stage design and visual impression in general.
Though I am from Eastern Europe I can honestly say that usually western countries have worse songs than the rest, so why crying now? I really don't remember the time when UK or France or Germany sent good song I like more or less in these 8 years, and yes, I got sick of those Scandinavian shlagers (though there are exceptions, usually 1 of their country sends smth original and as a rule ends somewhere high, like Lordi, or Norway in 2005), and yes, I got sick of the same balkan balads - cause every year it's the same...So very often it happens that I vote for Eastern country(2005-Moldova, 2006-Russia, 2007-Bulgaria(cause they showed something special you got amused at first sight!), so I don't understand that paranoic tears of West that East don't vote for them. Please, send something interesting, exciting, new and at least I will vote for you (and believe that many people will do it too).
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new system is being brought because westerners want westerners to win. they can not even bear to see any smallest victory other than theirs and always find ways of despising it. why doesn't mr svante offer the big four to also equally compee in the semi-finals? he can not, because in that case he loses his chair.
i remember ANTIQUE - DIE FOR YOU..
They were sooooo great.
Pitty..Only 3rd place?
But, we all know, that GREECE was moral winer 2001!
Estonia won,,,,i dont know how?
And then Denmark 2nd? I know....Denmark was host country... 
lol
some songs were great in english, though, like "everyway that i can" by sertab, which sounded a bit weird in turkish and maybe "die for you" by antique (the chorus in greek made no sense)
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