Logies organiser TV Week: The voting process is fairer than ever
The publisher of TV Week has responded to widespread criticism of the Logies Awards voting process following controversy over the shortlist for this year’s TV popularity contest.
Much of the speculation focused on the appearance of Ten’s The Circle presenter Chrissie Swan on three shortlists despite her relatively low profile.
There were also questions overt the absence of The Gruen Transfer from the light entertainment category and Wil Anderson and Shaun Micallef from the gold nominations.
But TV Week has issued a statement saying that the voting was run by Roy Morgan research and scrutinsed by auditor Ernst & Young. It said:
With the 2011 Logie Awards three weeks away, TV Week would like to address the new voting processes implemented this year. The exclusively online voting system introduced this year limited votes to one per person and subjected each entry to expert, independent scrutiny and verification.
In past years, TV industry experts, media commentators and the general public have criticised the TV Week Logie Awards due to the limiting nature of its voting process (nomination forms were available in the TV Week magazine and on the magazine’s website). It was therefore primarily TV Week readers who voted, which explained why the ‘most popular’ categories were often dominated by shows such as Home & Away and Neighbours.
In recognition of such feedback, and for the first time this year, the Australian public was able to vote via an online form developed by Roy Morgan Research in conjunction with TV Week. This form was accessible via the TV Week website but hosted by Roy Morgan, to add to the security and integrity of the entries.
The results were scrutinised by Ernst & Young, which oversaw the set up, compilation and voting process in accordance with Australian Auditing Standards. The process ensured a one vote per person result.
It is also important to remember that the time-honoured Most Outstanding Awards continue to reflect the peer vote. This year these highly valued peer-nominated categories were judged by a mix of independent judges. To remove any potential industry bias, this year TV Week approached completely independent industry experts to adjudicate panels in which they have relevant expertise. The 12 Most Outstanding Awards were adjudicated by seven panels consisting of at least five judges who represented the top of their fields.
For the peer-nominated Most Outstanding Awards, Roy Morgan Research hosted the voting forum and, again, the entire process was overseen by Ernst & Young.
“While we know criticising the Logies is a favourite media pastime, I think it’s important to note we’ve recognised historical faults in the system and gone to considerable lengths over the last few years, and this year in particular, to address them,” said Peter Holder, ACP Magazines Publisher, TV Week.
“The voting system this year proved that a determined campaign by talent, as well as broadening the voting process for all TVloving Australians, has given the TV Week Logie Awards a fairer field of competitors in all categories.”
Holder continued: “At TV Week, we make no comment about who should or shouldn’t have made the list of Gold Logies nominees. The general public cast their votes and we respect that. We wish each and every nominee – across all categories – the best for what should be another spectacular TV Week Logie Awards on May 1.”
Mumbrella asked who the independent judges were. Holder declined to reveal the list, but told Mumbrlla:
“We would prefer not to disclose the list of judges, due to confidentiality agreements, but what I can tell you is the list is 35 in total, and represents a broad section of TV experience and talent.
“In previous years, the networks nominated department heads to sit on the panels, and a freelancer was outsourced to look for and after 11 independent experts. This year we went to the networks with a list of judges from last year, they came back to us with feedback and suggested alternatives. We then approached each person on the finalised list, and checked if they were associated with any programs which aired in 2010. Those that were associated with 2010 programs were weeded out.”
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That video isn’t a good indicator of how unknown Chrissie Swan is. If you asked people who Jessica Marais was, I think you’d get the same responses. Does that mean her Gold Logie nomination is also undeserved?
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I’m at work when The Circle is on but I can vouch for Chrissie Swan being totally awesome. I remember her from her stint as the normal one in the Big Brother house one year. Pretty sure she said she was a copywriter back then.
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Can someone involved explain how they ensured that there was only one vote per person? What was the registration and validation process? Surely they don’t mean one vote per cookie.
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