Juries make a comeback at Eurovision

Juries are set to return to the Eurovision Song Contest after criticism of tactical voting at last year's contest.

Representatives from each country will judge the entrants along with a public vote in an attempt to make the 2009 contest fairer.

Svante Stockelius, Eurovision's executive supervisor, said to the BBC: "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.

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

Last year, Sir Terry Wogan threatened to quit the commentating job he has held for 37 years after the former eastern bloc countries voted together.

Sir Terry has criticised the contest for becoming "ridiculous", stating: "The UK and the BBC has to decide whether they want to take part anymore.

"I don't want to be presiding over yet another debacle... Russia were going to be the political winners from the beginning."

Russia received the maximum 12 points from former Soviet states Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Belarus and Armenia, as well as Israel and went on to win the competition.

The UK has only finished in the top 10 once in the last 10 contests and has finished outside the top 20 four times in that period.

Song contest officials will meet again later this year to decide how the voting will be split between the juries and televoting.