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Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Erne Boxing Club host memorable night of international boxing
Last Friday, a packed crowd at the Westville Hotel in Enniskillen enjoyed a thrilling and unforgettable evening of international boxing. The event, hosted by Erne Boxing Club in collaboration with the IABA (Irish Athletic Boxing Association) High-Performance Unit, saw Ireland's Elite Boxing Team face off against a visiting team from Austria. Despite some last minute withdrawals due to injuries and travel issues there were ten highly entertaining contests that included seven international contests and three supporting contests featuring Erne boxers. The night's action got underway with Erne's Ben Millar taking on Jack Willis (Gateway Sligo BC) in a 50kg Youth Contest. Millar made a fast start peppering his opponent with hard jabs to take control of the contest. After landing with unanswered combinations on several occasions he forced his brave opponent to take two stsnding counts and the referee to halt the contest in round two, handing Millar an RSC victory. Next up saw home favourite Cameron Suttle against the heavy-punching Alex McAleer (Ballyshannon BC) in a 67kg Senior Welterweight contest. Suttle established control of the contest working away behind the jab and held a solid guard to defend against his opponent's soild counter attacks. The good jab work from Suttle bloodied his opponent's nose and a good volley of punches forced his opponent to take a standing count. McAleer fought back gamely and had a good spell on top but Suttle rallied again forcing further nose damage and his opponent to take another standing count. The contest was subsequently called off afterwards handing Suttle an RSC win in round three. In the final supporting contest, Erne's Anthony Malanaphy took on Naoise McManus (Dumsna BC) in another 67kg Welterweight contest. McManus had beaten Anthony's clubmate Cameron Suttle earlier in the season and so he was on something of a revenge mission. For two rounds Malanaphy showed his subline skillset peppering McManus with his eye-catching long-range punches and his trademark uppercuts when in close. However, in round three Malanaphy opted to stand and trade with McManus who got inspired by his success and it resulted in an uncomfortable last round for the home favourite. However, Malanaphy dug deep and deservedly collected a unaminous 5-0 points win. This contest was followed by some traditional Irish Dancing from talented dancing sisters Chloe and Charley Gilmurray who entertained the visitors and large crowd. Following the parade of the two international teams, rising country singing star Cara McGillion sang great renditions of Danny Boy and Amhrán na bhFiann. Ireland's Gavin Ryan beat Michel Marinkovic (Austria) in the opening international contest at Bantamweight and Lee McEvoy followed that with a victory over Eric Banas at Featherweight. Next up was the main attraction Rhys Owens v Mery Ayan (Austria) in a Lightweight contest. Owens received a rapturous applause on his way to the ring and started the contest a bit nervously. Ayan took advantage and got the better of the early exchanges. However, Owens warmed into the contest and once he found his range he started to land with hurtful body shots. The opening round was very close but some sharp three-punch eye-catching combinations from Owens would have seen him edge the first session. In round two, Owens was buoyant and was now relishing the occasion. He applied constant pressure and although his Austrian opponent fought back gamely he was simply being outgunned and overwhelmed by the Erne starlet. Quality Owens combinations that mixed shots from body to head force Ayan to take a standing count and on resumption there was no let up. Owens knew he had his man going and continued to apply pressure and after landing with another hurtful combination the contest was called off handing him an RSC victory in round two. The large crowd raised the roof as Owens hand was officially raised in victory. There were a further two wins and two reverses for team Ireland in the final four team contests as the hosts romp to a 5-2 victory in the team match. Luke Hall (Ireland) beat Alfred Nana (Austria) by unanimous decision at Welterweight. Matthew McCole beat Rahman Altamirov (Austria) by RSC in round three at Light- Middleweight. Jason Clancy (Ireland) lost to Lucky Aimufa (Austria) by Split Decision 3-2 at Light-Heavyweight. Brian Kennedy (Ireland) lost to Micael Derouchie (Austria) by Unanimous Decision 5-0. Event organiser and Erne Boxing Club Head Coach Sean Crowley said: "It was a fantastic night for the club and a great night for Fermanagh. We have so many people and businesses that supported us to thank that we don't know where to start. "Our four boxers that competed tonight boxed absolutely brilliantly and impressed in front of the National coaches. "To get four wins out of four and especially to see Rhys win in an international vest in front of the home fans made all the stress and many tireless hours of unpaid work worthwhile for me, the club coaches and all the volunteers that made this event possible. "We did a great job of showcasing the beautiful county of Fermanagh and with further support could bring a major international competition like a European Championship in the future- that would be a great way to relaunch the new Lakeland forum when it reopens. "I just want to finish on behalf of the club by thanking all those key people that helped out, we are indebted to you."
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Massachusetts National Guard: Hometown Hero
Campaign not loading? Click here Massachusetts National Guard 'Hometown Hero' Contest OFFICIAL RULES 1. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR TO WIN. ALL FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL AND MUNICIPAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS APPLY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. 2. Eligibility. Subject to the additional restrictions below, the Massachusetts National Guard 'Hometown Hero' Contest (the 'Contest') is open to legal residents of the State of Massachusetts residing in the WFTX terrestrial viewing area, who are 18 years or older at the time of entry. Employees of WFTX (Boston), LLC ('Sponsor'), CMG Media Corporation, Massachusetts National Guard, and each of their respective affiliated companies, subsidiaries, and advertising and promotional agencies, and the family members of, and any persons domiciled with, any such employees, are not eligible to enter or to win. The term 'family members' includes spouses, parents, grandparents, siblings, children, grandchildren, and in-laws, regardless of where they live. Professional actors and filmmakers, whether full-time or part-time, are allowed to compete so long as they do not belong to any professional organizations connected with the entertainment industry that would cause Sponsor to pay the entrant or any other person a fee or any other benefit for taking part in any Contest event. 3. How to Enter. The Contest will begin at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time ('EST') on May 27, 2025 and end at 10:00 a.m. EST on July 3, 2025 (the 'Contest Period').Sponsor will be the official timekeeper for the Contest. Enter by visiting the Contest official registration page at the 'Contests' page at (the 'Website'), selecting the Massachusetts National Guard 'Hometown Hero' Contest link, and completing all required information and following all posted instructions. All entries must be received no later than 10:00 a.m. on July 3, 2025. By participating in the Contest via Sponsor's website, you agree to be bound by Sponsor's Visitor Agreement ( and Privacy Policy ( which are hereby incorporated by reference. Failure to complete any of the steps in this section may result in the disqualification of your attempted entry as determined in Sponsor's sole discretion. Sponsor is not responsible for any issue that may prevent a Participant (as defined below) from being able to download or access the App or complete his/her entry. An entry received through the Website, consistent with these Official Rules, will result in one (1) entry for the Contest. Limit: One (1) entry per person and per email address during the Contest Period. Submission As part of the Contest entry process, you (the 'Nominator') must upload a short explanation (500 words or less) nominating a local resident (the 'Nominee') with whom you are affiliated in some way and explaining why such Nominee deserves to be recognized as the winner for the Massachusetts National Guard Hometown Hero Contest (the 'Entry'). All Entries must include the following information: · Name of the Nominee you are nominating · Why this Nominee your Nominee deserves to be recognized as a 'Hometown Hero' By entering, you represent and warrant about your Entry: (i) You are submitting your Entry on your behalf and not on behalf of any other individual. (ii) It is your own original work or you have all the rights necessary to post or re-post the content. Each Entry must not contain any material that would violate or infringe upon the rights of any person or entity, including without limitation copyrights, trademarks or rights of privacy or publicity, or that is defamatory, threatening, indecent, obscene, or offensive, or that is unlawful, in violation of or contrary to any applicable laws or regulations, or which requires a license from any third party. (iII) You have the express written consent of any identifiable locations or persons appearing or referenced in your Entry or entries to their Persona (as defined below) being used in the ways set out in these Official Rules, including Sponsor's and Maurices Incorporated's right to use your Entry for any future commercial purpose without restrictions, and you can make those authorizations available to Sponsor and Maurices Incorporatedupon request. Upon request, you will obtain written consent of any such persons for Sponsor and Maurices Incorporated in the form identified by Sponsor or and Maurices Incorporated. (iv) the Entry does not reference any person other than entrant and the Nominee or any names, products or services of any company or entity or any third-party trademarks, logos, copyrights, trade dress or promotion of any brand, product, or service. (v) Your Entry is appropriate for public viewing. Without limiting the foregoing, your Entry is not lewd, obscene, sexually explicit, pornographic, disparaging, defamatory, libelous, or otherwise contain content which Sponsor in its sole discretion decides is inappropriate or objectionable. Your Entry or entries must also not disparage or cast a negative light on any person, entity, or brand, product, or service. (vi) Your Entry has not previously been published or accepted for publication and is not currently under consideration for publication and your Entry complies with all of Sponsor's requirements and terms regarding the use of its services. Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to not consider any Entry for the Contest if it believes the Entry violates or potentially violates any of the foregoing requirements or otherwise fails to comply with any provision of these Official Rules. You agree to reimburse Sponsor in full with respect to any losses, damages, and expenses, including reasonable legal fees (including, where permitted, reasonable attorney fees) that it may sustain from the breach of a representation or warranty made by you or the use of any rights granted by you to Sponsor hereunder. By entering, you warrant that your Entry complies with the requirements set out above including those at (i)–(vi) above. By entering, you will grant and you hereby grant to Sponsor a perpetual, irrevocable, exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, sub-licensable, freely assignable license to reproduce your Entry and to otherwise use, exploit, copy, modify, adapt, edit, publish and display the Entry in any form, manner, venue, media or technology now known or later developed for any and all purposes, including, without limitation, for purposes of commercial or trade purposes, advertising, and promotion as Sponsor and each of its licensees or assignees determine, without further compensation, notification, or permission. Further, by entering, you hereby waive any moral rights you may have in any Entry in favor of the Sponsor. By submitting your Entry you also grant to Sponsor the worldwide, perpetual, irrevocable, fully sub-licensable, and freely transferable right, but not the obligation, to use any and all names, identities, titles, likenesses, distinctive appearances, physical likenesses, images, portraits, pictures, photographs (whether still or moving), screen personas, voices, vocal styles, statements, gestures, mannerisms, personalities, performance characteristics, biographical data, signatures, and any other indicia or imitations of identity or likeness listed, provided, referenced, or otherwise contained in the Entry and/or image (all attributes, collectively, per person, a 'Persona') for purposes of advertising and trade, in any format, medium, or technology now known or later developed without further notice, approval, or compensation, unless prohibited by law. Maximum one (1) entry per person and per email address during the Contest Period. The use of multiple identities and/or accounts is prohibited, and any attempt to obtain more than the stated number of entries will void that participant's entries and may result in participant's disqualification. Incomplete, forged, altered, automated, mechanically reproduced, lost, late, misdirected, garbled, or illegible entries, or entries that do not meet the size or formatting requirements specified above, will be disqualified. Sponsor will not be responsible for failure to receive entries due to transmission failures or technical failures of any kind, including, without limitation, malfunctioning of any network, hardware, or software, whether originating with sender, Sponsor, or Sponsor's Contest application service provider. In the event of a dispute, all online entries will be deemed to have been submitted by the owner of the ISP account from which they were sent, provided that such person satisfies all other Contest eligibility requirements. For these purposes, an ISP account holder shall mean the natural person assigned to such ISP account by the Internet access provider, online service provider or other organization responsible for assigning ISP addresses for the domain associated with such ISP account. All entries become property of Sponsor, and none will be returned. Any questions regarding the number of entries submitted or the owner of an ISP account shall be determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion, and Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any entries by persons who submit false or misleading entry information or who Sponsor determines to be tampering with or abusing any aspect of the Contest. 4. Winner Selection. Starting June 5, 2025, at or about 10:30 a.m. EST on each Thursday of the Contest Period, one (1) Entry will be selected as the potential weekly winner by a committee of qualified judges selected in Sponsor's sole discretion. Winner selection will be made based on the following criteria ('Criteria'): (1) entry clarity and composition (25%); and (2) compelling reasons the Nominee is going above and beyond to benefit his/her community (75%). The Entry with the highest cumulative score from among all eligible Entries received up to such judging date will be designated the winning entry. A total of five (5) weekly winners will be selected during the Contest Period. Prize Description. Subject to verification of eligibility and compliance with these Official Rules, each weekly winning Nominee will receive recognition of their selection as a Hometown Hero on the Boston 25 News broadcast on the Friday following their selection as the winner. 6. Winner Notification and Acceptance. The Nominator of the potential winning Nominee will be notified on or about each Thursday of the Contest Period, at the telephone number or email address provided on the potential winner's Entry form. In order to win, the Nominator must respond to Sponsor's notification at the time of notice or attempted notice. Sponsor and Nominator will confer on the appropriate method to contact the winning Nominee. In order to claim a prize, potential winner must respond to Sponsor's notification six (6) hours of notice or attempted notice. Potential winners may be required to complete an affidavit of eligibility, and a liability and publicity release (except where prohibited by law), which may be notarized and returned within thirty (30) days days/hours of notification. Sponsor's inability to reach a potential winner after a reasonable (as solely determined by Sponsor) effort has been made, the failure of a potential winner to timely respond to a prize notification, the return of any prize notification as undeliverable, and/or a potential winner's failure to comply with any term or condition of these Official Rules may, in Sponsor's sole discretion, result in the potential winner's disqualification and the selection of a substitute winner from among all remaining eligible entries received during the Contest Period. A PARTICIPANT IS NOT A WINNER OF ANY PRIZE UNLESS AND UNTIL SPONSOR HAS COMPLETED ITS VERIFICATION OF PARTICIPANT'S ELIGIBILITY. The winner may waive the right to receive a prize. Prizes are non-assignable and non-transferable and cannot be redeemed for cash. No substitutions allowed by winner. Prizes and individual components of prize packages are subject to availability. Sponsor reserves the right to substitute prizes or components of prize packages with a prize or component of equal or greater value. As applicable, the winner is solely responsible for reporting and payment of any taxes on a prize. The winner may be required to provide information to Sponsor for tax purposes and/or complete an IRS W-9 form in order to claim a prize. The winner is solely responsible for all federal, state and local taxes on prize value and, as applicable, will be issued an IRS Form 1099 based on the prize value determined by Sponsor. Prizes not won and claimed by eligible winners in accordance with these Official Rules will not be awarded and will remain the property of Sponsor. 7. Participation. By participating, participants agree to be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of Sponsor and any Contest judges or administrators selected by Sponsor, which are final and binding in all respects. Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify persons found tampering with or otherwise abusing any aspect of this Contest as solely determined by Sponsor. In the event the Contest is compromised by a virus, non-authorized human intervention, tampering or other causes beyond the reasonable control of Sponsor which corrupt or impair the administration, security, fairness or proper operation of the Contest, Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to suspend, modify or terminate the Contest. Should the Contest be terminated prior to the stated expiration date, Sponsor reserves the right to award prizes based on the entries received before the termination date. Proof of sending or submission of an entry will not be deemed proof of receipt by Sponsor. 8. Publicity Release. BY ENTERING THE CONTEST, YOU AGREE THAT SPONSOR, CMG MEDIA GROUP, MASSACHUSETTS NATIONAL GUARD, AND THEIR RESPECTIVE SUBSIDIARIES, AFFILIATES, SUPPLIERS, DISTRIBUTORS, ADVERTISING/PROMOTION AGENCIES, AND PRIZE SUPPLIERS AND EACH SUCH COMPANY'S OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, REPRESENTATIVES, AND SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS (COLLECTIVELY, THE 'RELEASED PARTIES') HAVE THE ABSOLUTE RIGHT AND PERMISSION TO PUBLISH YOUR ENTRY ON THE WEBSITE AND TO BROADCAST, PUBLISH, OR OTHERWISE USE YOUR ENTRY AND/OR YOUR, NOMINEE TEACHER'S, AND WINNING SCHOOL'S NAME, BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION, AND LIKENESS IN CONNECTION WITH THE CONTEST OR FOR ANY COMMERCIAL, PUBLICITY, OR PROMOTIONAL PURPOSE WITHOUT LIMITATION, REVIEW OR APPROVAL, OR COMPENSATION TO SUCH PARTY. BY ENTERING, YOU, GRANT THE RELEASED PARTIES AN EXCLUSIVE, ROYALTY-FREE AND IRREVOCABLE LICENSE AND RIGHT (BUT NOT THE OBLIGATION) TO TELECAST, BROADCAST, COPY, EDIT, ADAPT, MODIFY, REPRODUCE, PUBLISH, CREATE DERIVATIVE WORKS OF, DISTRIBUTE, USE, OR OTHERWISE PUBLICLY DISPLAY ANY OR ALL OF YOUR ENTRIES, OR ANY PORTION THEREOF, IN ANY MANNER OR MEDIUM THROUGHOUT THE WORLD IN PERPETUITY, FOR COMMERCIAL, PUBLICITY, OR PROMOTIONAL PURPOSES, AND TO LICENSE OTHERS TO DO SO, WITHOUT LIMITATION, REVIEW OR APPROVAL, OR COMPENSATION TO YOU. 9. Indemnification. If Sponsor's use of your Entry causes Sponsor to be subject to a claim by any third party, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Released Parties, and all persons acting by, through, under or in concert with them, against any and all damages, costs, judgments and expenses (including reasonable attorney's fees) which the Released Parties (or any one of them) may incur as a result of the use of your Entry. 10. Release. BY PARTICIPATING IN THE CONTEST, EACH PARTICIPANT AGREES TO FULLY RELEASE, FOREVER DISCHARGE AND HOLD HARMLESS THE RELEASED PARTIES FROM AND AGAINST ANY CLAIMS, COSTS, LIABILITIES, LOSSES, INJURIES, AND DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE CONTEST, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANY CLAIMS FOR PERSONAL INJURY, DEATH, OR DAMAGE TO OR LOSS OF PROPERTY, LOSS OF ENJOYMENT, OR ANY OTHER HARM WHATSOEVER ARISING OUT OF: (1) PARTICIPATION IN THE CONTEST; (2) THE QUALITY, RECEIPT, POSSESSION, USE, OR MISUSE OF ANY PRIZE; OR (3) ANY TRAVEL OR ACTIVITY THAT IS RELATED TO THE CONTEST OR ANY PRIZE. 11. Limitations of Liability. By PARTICIPATING IN the Contest, PARTICIPANTs acknowledge and agree that EVERYTHING REGARDING THIS CONTEST, INCLUDING THE WEBSITE AND THE prize(S), ARE provided 'as is' and that Sponsor makes no representations or warranties OF ANY KIND, express or implied, about the Prize(S) and sponsor hereby DISCLAIMS all such warranties, including, but not limited to, any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. (BECAUSE SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF CERTAIN IMPLIED WARRANTIES, THE ABOVE LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. IN SUCH STATES, THE LIABILITY OF THE RELEASED PARTIES IS LIMITED TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY SUCH STATE LAW.) The Released Parties are not responsible for: (1) any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by PARTICIPANTs, printing OR PRODUCTION errors, or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or EMPLOYED in the Contest; (2) technical failures of any kind, including, but not limited to malfunctions, interruptions, or disconnections in phone lines or network hardware or software; (3) unauthorized human intervention in any part of the entry process or the Contest; (4) technical or human error which may occur in the administration of the Contest, the processing of entries, or the notification of any winner; or (5) any injury or damage to persons or property which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from A PARTICIPANT'S participation in the Contest or receipt or use or misuse of any prize. Only the number of prizes stated in these Official Rules is available to be won in the Contest. In the event that production, technical, seeding, programming, or any other reasons cause more than the stated number of prizes as set forth in these Official Rules to be available and/or claimed, Sponsor reserves the right to award the prize based upon which entries received the highest scores according to the judging criteria' or 'the entries that received the highest number of votes. 12. Construction. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of these rules shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision. In the event that any such provision is determined to be invalid or otherwise unenforceable, these Official Rules shall be construed in accordance with their terms as if the invalid or unenforceable provision was not contained therein. 13. Sponsor. The Massachusetts National Guard 'Hometown Hero' Contest is sponsored by WFTX (Boston), LLC. The decisions of Sponsor regarding the selection of winners and all other aspects of the Contest shall be final and binding in all respects. Sponsor will not be responsible for typographical, printing, or other inadvertent errors in these Official Rules or in other materials or announcements relating to the Contest. For a list of winners (available after July 15, 2025) or a copy of these Official Rules, visit or send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to 'Winners List/Official Rules' (as applicable), Massachusetts National Guard 'Hometown Hero' Contest, 25 Fox Drive, Dedham, MA 02026, Attn: Matthew Maguire. If you have any questions regarding this Contest, please contact 0144325.0730070 4924-0763-3478v1 Abbreviated rules for ads, website, etc.: *NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. 5/27/25–7/3/25. Open to legal MA residents in the WFXT terrestrial viewing area; 18+. To enter, visit and submit entry with all req'd info. Limit: 1 entry/person. Add'l info and Official Rules: [ Sponsor: WFXT (Boston) LLC, 25 Fox Drive, Dedham, MA 02026. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
CTV News
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Nominate someone for MOVE 100's Community Hero Award!
Ottawa Watch MOVE 100'S Sophie Moroz and Jeff Hopper who are going to tell us all about their Community Hero Contest brought to you by La-Z-Boy!
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Eurovision responds to accusations it encourages voting ‘manipulation' after Israel performance
Eurovision director Martin Green has shared a statement with fans and participating countries of the competition following calls for an audit into its voting system, in response to Israel's near-win this year. Controversy over the country's participation has been rife for the past two years amid its war on Gaza, while its contestants have been the subject of widespread protests. Israel's 2025 delegate Yuval Raphael, a survivor of the 7 October attacks by Hamas, came in second place in the grand final last week, while the competition was won by Austra's singer JJ. Raphael scored a total of 357 points from combined votes of the professional jury and the public. In the wake of the competition, several public broadcasters for countries including Belgium, Spain and Ireland have requested a breakdown of the voting system from Eurovision organisers the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and its voting partner Once. In a statement shared to its website on Friday (23 May), the EBU said it had been listening and engaging 'closely' with the conversations among member countries, fans and the media following the 2025 contest. 'I want to again congratulate the winner JJ and the team from ORF,' Green said. 'His performance and song rightly, clearly and validly won the Contest and we want to make sure any ancillary conversations do not overshadow this epic achievement.' Addressing questions surrounding the Eurovision voting system, Green said that several 'specially designed' systems were in place to monitor and prevent fraud, while more than 60 individuals stationed in Cologne, Vienna and Amsterdam were employed to monitor the voting process in each country. 'All results are verified through an eight-eye principle by the CEO and senior employees of Once, who collectively have over 40 years of voting experience,' he said. He continued to break down the measures that the EBU and Once go to in order to ensure that 'our rules and systems remain fail safe', while acknowledging that audience voting often showed evidence of being influenced by current affairs, geographic affiliations or the back stories of certain contestants. 'Historically the ESC has been as open to this as other singing and music competitions and reality television,' Green said. He added that there was 'no current evidence' to suggest that allowing 20 votes per person – 'designed to ensure that audiences of all ages can vote for more than one of their favourite songs' – disproportionately affected the final result. However, 'the question has been asked and so we will look into it', he said. Katia Segers, a Flemish MP, argued in a statement this week that 'a system in which everyone can cast up to 20 votes is a system that encourages manipulation'. 'Whether this manipulation occurred in our country and all other participating and non-participating countries must be investigated,' she said. Green concluded his statement by once again congratulating JJ and Austrian broadcaster ORF for winning the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest. Next year's competition will take place in the winning country, Austria.
RTÉ News
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Eurovision director addresses voting concerns in open letter
Martin Green, the director of the Eurovision Song Contest, has released an open letter following voting concerns surrounding this year's competition. The statement comes amid ongoing debates regarding Israel's promotion of its entry, as well as discussions among several national broadcasters about the current voting system. Earlier this week, RTÉ requested a breakdown in Eurovision voting numbers from the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and its voting partner Once. Spain's public broadcaster, Radio Televisión Española (RTVE), previously called for a "complete review" of the voting system to "avoid external interference and manipulation", referencing votes received by Israel in the public vote. In his letter, Martin Green said that Eurovision employs specially developed systems designed to prevent fraudulent voting. He said: "The ESC voting system includes multiple security layers and a comprehensive set of rules to ensure that a valid result is generated. Our voting partner - Once Germany GmbH - uses redundant systems and multiple platforms to ensure the correct delivery of votes to the central system. "For the Eurovision Song Contest, specially designed systems are used to monitor and prevent fraud. Additionally, more than 60 individuals in Cologne and several others in Vienna and Amsterdam monitor the voting process in each country and maintain direct contact with telecommunication and broadcasting partners globally. All results are verified through an 8-eye principle by the CEO and senior employees of Once, who collectively have over 40 years of voting experience." Mr Green explained how "independent compliance monitor EY oversees and authenticates the results". He added: "Every decision related to the outcomes is documented and assessed. The entire process, including the result calculation of the platform and the voting results is thoroughly reviewed and verified by EY. "All audience voting, be it SMS, call or online shows evidence of the motivation of communities or diasporas around certain contestants. This can be for many reasons including personal attributes, back stories, geographic affiliations and current affairs. Historically the ESC has been as open to this as other singing and music competitions and reality television. "Every year the Reference Group for the Contest, which contains representatives from and acts on behalf of our Members, studies the data provided by our voting partner Once to make recommendations of any actions available to us to ensure our rules and systems remain fail safe and take into account contemporary external factors such as advances in technology and external influences. This process will happen as it always does in June this year." Mr Green said what the EBU "will be looking at is the promotion of our acts by their delegations and associated parties" and "want to ensure that such promotion is not disproportionally affecting the natural mobilisation of communities and diasporas we see in all entertainment audience voting". Discussing the existing voting system, which allows each person to cast up to 20 votes, he said that the rules would be reviewed. "Another example is the number of votes we allow per person – 20 per payment method. This is designed to ensure that audiences of all ages can vote for more than one of their favourite songs and there is no current evidence that it disproportionally effects (sic) the final result – but the question has been asked and so we will look at it."
