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Logies voting saga: “Broadcasters are unhappy”

Exclusive: TV Week cut the number of entries networks could submit this year, and it hasn't gone down well.

EXCLUSIVE: TV Week this year reduced the number of entries networks could submit for the 60th Logie Awards voting.

This year there are under 70 Actors & 70 Actresses hoping to secure a Silver Logie nomination in the Popular Awards. In recent years sometimes they have nudged 100 each.

For the 60th event on the Gold Coast networks were limited to 10 Actors, 10 Actresses & 15 Presenters each, forcing them to focus on high profile talent and leaving talent & fans confused and disgruntled.

There are also caps on shows in each Popular category, such as 5 titles per network for Most Popular Drama, resulting in bizarre voting choices for fans.

None of the Studio 10 cast are listed for TEN. Nine has Delta Goodrem, Boy George, Kelly Rowland & Sonia Kruger for The Voice but not Seal. ABC’s Virginia Trioli is listed but not Michael Rowland for News Breakfast while nobody from The Secret Daughter is listed. ABC infamously snubbed Craig McLachlan and The Doctor Blake Mysteries but submitted Nadine Garner.

Exacerbating the problem is this year’s extended eligibility date of March 31st, due to the July 1 ceremony on the Gold Coast. This sees Bachelor in Paradise and Show Me the Movie! on the voting lists, neither of which have aired yet.

TV Week said in a statement, “After feedback from previous years, the decision was made to reduce the entries in the Most Popular categories to improve the user experience and promote greater engagement with the voting process.”

Yet there are rumblings within the industry over the reductions, with some talent and fans expressing confusion on social media. Whilst TV Week says the list is up to the networks, the networks are only following Logie‘s set limits.

One industry source told TV Tonight, “The limit on the number of Logies entries networks can provide for ‘Most Popular’ acting categories is pretty hard to understand. They unreasonably force broadcasters to choose between often equally-excellent and popular actors and actresses in major roles.

“They likewise prevent TV viewers from voting for some of their favourite performers, in turn hurting audience enthusiasm for the Logies as a whole. And the drop in permissible number of entries, compared with previous years, has not been clearly explained.

“The limits on the number of programs broadcasters can enter in ‘Most Popular’ program categories is even tighter, and likewise forces broadcasters into what can seem, for Logie voters and program makers alike, quite arbitrary choices.

“Broadcasters are unhappy, and so are some of our biggest performers and producers.”

Another industry source said, “For a number of different reasons, this round of Logie voting and the actual awards night is in unchartered territory. The restriction on the number of nominees allowed in the new system (this year) hasn’t helped sort out the concern.”

When voting was via magazine coupons, readers had the option to submit an “Other” choice, but it vanished from online voting years ago.

With its impressive 60 Year legacy the Logies have always evolved and adapted, from replacing defunct categories, to introducing phone & online voting and staging Live broadcasts. With the responsibility comes a need to respond to industry concerns. This year’s message loud and clear is that reducing the number of candidates is unfair to networks, talent and fans alike.

As a third source noted, “Local drama isn’t coping too well in this constantly changing world of streaming and declining TV audiences, so the last thing we should be doing is making it harder for actors to break through.”

Amended.

20 Responses

  1. Interesting how the Today Show and Sunrise are now in the entertainment category (they were previously in the panel news category which, I’m guessing, no longer exists)

  2. “This sees Bachelor in Paradise and Show Me the Movie! on the voting lists, neither of which have aired yet.” I also thought that was odd. How can a person vote on a program that has yet to air? And while I’m on the subject of voting I don’t appreciate having to hand over personal information which only appears at the very end of the voting selection. For those who don’t wish to participate in the chance of winning a competition how about giving the voter the option from abstaining. I also noted how most of the fields had the obligatory * next to all fields, except one; date of birth. I wonder how people have given that information over, not realising where it will end up. In the end I ran from the website.

  3. I’ll be interested to see what the Gold Coast does with the Logies. I predict the first year will be excellent with lots of money poured into it then subsequent years funding will be cut and it will slowly wither and die much like FTA TV itself.

    1. I suspect that for the home viewer it was look exactly the same as every other Logies. The only difference will be the ballroom will on the Gold Coast rather than in Melbourne.

  4. TV Week, with it’s falling sales and obsession with Home and Away, ceased to be relevant and an accurate gauge of what is popular on television over a decade ago. TV Tonight would be more widely read, respected and engaged with today’s viewers and the industry. This site’s annual awards are a far better reflection of viewing habits.

    1. Cheque is in the mail, but whilst I have 11 years online, TV Week has 60 and their circulation is much broader, so all power to them. The Logies are the biggest awards night in the country, even beyond entertainment. But with such influence needs fairness for all. I hope they get it right.

  5. Well I don’t think Seal or Kelly Rowland should even be on the list as they’re not Aussies, especially if they are limited who can be nominated. I haven’t looked at the voting form yet so hope who I want to nominate is on there. Last year I wanted to nominate Sean Micallef but he wasn’t on the list.

      1. That’s different, they’re acting in those shows. These guys were judges on a reality singing show. When they’re limiting the amount of people to be put forward, Aussies should get preference.

  6. I completely agree that the limit of nominees has left us disgruntled and many will be less engaged.
    The eligibility date of March 31st which includes shows that have not aired yet in favour in others who were on air last year was a big mistake.
    They need to address both these. More nominees and a cut off date, way before the voting starts.

  7. Did any networks have more than 5 dramas to actually put forward?

    Places should be limited and networks should be putting forward talent on merit, not numbers. Ridiculous that some people have already been put forward for shows yet to be broadcast.

    Maybe it would be fairer if the networks actually put forward the candidates for other networks – perhaps then the candidates would have industry wide respect. Or not if they all try and sabotage each other.

    1. Well, yes. The ABC have at least eight shows that should have been eligible: Glitch, Cleverman, Newton’s Law, Pulse, Seven Types of Ambiguity, Janet King, The Warriors, The Doctor Blake Mysteries.

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