The BBC's Terry Wogan, who commentates on the Eurovision Song Contest for British television and has been doing so since the 1970s, has accused other European countries of "political voting" after Russia won this year's contest.
Scoring works as follows - each coutry gives points to ten other countries (there were 25 in this year's contest). The points system is like this - 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,10,12. Members of the public in each nation vote, but cannot vote for their own nation.
In the last few years, the "song contest" has been anything but, with countries often giving high scores - such as 10 or 12 points - to neighbouring countries.
Russia's winning song received the maximum 12 points by several former Soviet states, whereas the Balkan states, such as Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia and Macedonia often award each other high points, and so do the Scandinavian countries (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland and Finland).
On a smaller scale, the UK and Republic of Ireland often give each other high points. In this year's song contest, the UK received 8 points from the Rep of Ireland (the UK's only other points - 6 of them - came from San Marino).
Because of all this, countries in Eastern Europe nowadays tend to win Eurovision thanks to all they votes they get from neighbours, whereas Western European countries - UK, Germany and France - don't do so well. And songs that are absoloutely dire often do much better than good songs.
Because of all this, Terry Wogan is threatening to quit if the political voting continues.
Britain's Andy Abrahams finishes joint LAST (alongside Germany and Poland) in Eurovision as Wogan warns he may quit 'political' contest
By Daily Mail Reporter
25th May 2008
Daily Mail
The Top 5 of this year's contest (out of 25 countries)
1. Russia: 272 points
2. Ukraine 230
3. Greece: 218
4. Armenia: 199
5. Norway: 182
(Three countries finished joint last - joint 25th - on just 14 points: Germany, Poland and the UK)
The UK continued their dismal run at the Eurovision Song Contest last night with Andy Abraham coming in last place with his song Even If.
Dima Bilan clinched the first win for Russia with his song Believe, after receiving the maximum 12 points from former Soviet countries Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Belarus and Armenia.
Abraham came in at 25th place with 14 points, compared to Russia's overall score of 272 points, prompting commentator Terry Wogan to declare the competition was "no longer a music contest".
'No longer a music contest': Terry Wogan (top) believes losing UK entrant Andy Abraham (bottom) fell victim to Eastern bias.
Wogan was so disappointed by last night's political motives behind the voting, he admitted he may not present next year's contest.
He said: "It's a disappointment, considering that Andy Abraham gave, I think, the performance of his life with a song that certainly deserved more marks than it got when you look at the points that Spain got, that Bosnia-Herzegovina got - some really ridiculous songs."
Abraham only received votes from Ireland and San Marino - who were taking part for the first time.
Heart throb: Russia's Dima Bilan scored a massive 272 points to win this year's Eurovision title. He got the maximum 12 points from several former Soviet nations
Wogan admitted his producer Kevin Bishop had already decided to step down from running the British broadcast and he was considering joining him.
He continued: "You have to say that this is no longer a music contest.
"He and I have to decide whether we want to do this again.
"Western European participants have to decide whether they want to to take part from here on in, because their prospects are poor."
Wogan questioned the standards of many of the countries' entrants, but refrained from criticising Russia's winner Bilan, whose song was produced by American hip-hop star Timbaland.
He aid: "Let's not take it away from him, let's congratulate him."
Enlarge
Close finish: Ukraine's Ani Lorak (left) and Greece's Kalomira (right) came in at second and third place respectively
Bilan received a congratulatory telegram from former Russian President and new Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
It read: "It is not only a personal success for Dima Bilan, but also a further triumph for Russia."
Bilan was returning for a second time after he narrowly lost out to shock Finnish rockers Lordi in 2006.
Saturday's contest was held in the Serbian capital Belgrade and attracted an estimated 100 million television viewers across Europe.
Ukraine's Ani Lorak came in second place with 230 points for the song Shady Lady, closely followed by Greek entrant Kalomira in third place with 218 points for her song Secret Combination.
'Ridiculous': The BBC's Terry Wogan was unimpressed with Bosnia and Herzegovina's entrants Laka, who landed in 10th place
dailymail.co.uk
Scoring works as follows - each coutry gives points to ten other countries (there were 25 in this year's contest). The points system is like this - 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,10,12. Members of the public in each nation vote, but cannot vote for their own nation.
In the last few years, the "song contest" has been anything but, with countries often giving high scores - such as 10 or 12 points - to neighbouring countries.
Russia's winning song received the maximum 12 points by several former Soviet states, whereas the Balkan states, such as Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia and Macedonia often award each other high points, and so do the Scandinavian countries (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland and Finland).
On a smaller scale, the UK and Republic of Ireland often give each other high points. In this year's song contest, the UK received 8 points from the Rep of Ireland (the UK's only other points - 6 of them - came from San Marino).
Because of all this, countries in Eastern Europe nowadays tend to win Eurovision thanks to all they votes they get from neighbours, whereas Western European countries - UK, Germany and France - don't do so well. And songs that are absoloutely dire often do much better than good songs.
Because of all this, Terry Wogan is threatening to quit if the political voting continues.
Britain's Andy Abrahams finishes joint LAST (alongside Germany and Poland) in Eurovision as Wogan warns he may quit 'political' contest
By Daily Mail Reporter
25th May 2008
Daily Mail
The Top 5 of this year's contest (out of 25 countries)
1. Russia: 272 points
2. Ukraine 230
3. Greece: 218
4. Armenia: 199
5. Norway: 182
(Three countries finished joint last - joint 25th - on just 14 points: Germany, Poland and the UK)
The UK continued their dismal run at the Eurovision Song Contest last night with Andy Abraham coming in last place with his song Even If.
Dima Bilan clinched the first win for Russia with his song Believe, after receiving the maximum 12 points from former Soviet countries Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Belarus and Armenia.
Abraham came in at 25th place with 14 points, compared to Russia's overall score of 272 points, prompting commentator Terry Wogan to declare the competition was "no longer a music contest".
'No longer a music contest': Terry Wogan (top) believes losing UK entrant Andy Abraham (bottom) fell victim to Eastern bias.
Wogan was so disappointed by last night's political motives behind the voting, he admitted he may not present next year's contest.
He said: "It's a disappointment, considering that Andy Abraham gave, I think, the performance of his life with a song that certainly deserved more marks than it got when you look at the points that Spain got, that Bosnia-Herzegovina got - some really ridiculous songs."
Abraham only received votes from Ireland and San Marino - who were taking part for the first time.
Heart throb: Russia's Dima Bilan scored a massive 272 points to win this year's Eurovision title. He got the maximum 12 points from several former Soviet nations
Wogan admitted his producer Kevin Bishop had already decided to step down from running the British broadcast and he was considering joining him.
He continued: "You have to say that this is no longer a music contest.
"He and I have to decide whether we want to do this again.
"Western European participants have to decide whether they want to to take part from here on in, because their prospects are poor."
Wogan questioned the standards of many of the countries' entrants, but refrained from criticising Russia's winner Bilan, whose song was produced by American hip-hop star Timbaland.
He aid: "Let's not take it away from him, let's congratulate him."
Enlarge
Close finish: Ukraine's Ani Lorak (left) and Greece's Kalomira (right) came in at second and third place respectively
Bilan received a congratulatory telegram from former Russian President and new Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
It read: "It is not only a personal success for Dima Bilan, but also a further triumph for Russia."
Bilan was returning for a second time after he narrowly lost out to shock Finnish rockers Lordi in 2006.
Saturday's contest was held in the Serbian capital Belgrade and attracted an estimated 100 million television viewers across Europe.
Ukraine's Ani Lorak came in second place with 230 points for the song Shady Lady, closely followed by Greek entrant Kalomira in third place with 218 points for her song Secret Combination.
'Ridiculous': The BBC's Terry Wogan was unimpressed with Bosnia and Herzegovina's entrants Laka, who landed in 10th place
dailymail.co.uk
I'd like to keep posting more often, but now I don't have much free time. But I'll improve myself