Editing Eurovision Song Contest (section)

=== Introduction of semi-finals ===
[[File:Eurovision semifinal qualification rate map.svg|thumb|upright=1.5|alt=Map of countries in Europe, North Africa and Western Asia, with Australia as an insert in the top-right corner, shaded to indicate their semi-final qualification rates: countries with high rates are shown in shades of blue, while countries with low rates are shown in shades of red and orange|Qualification rates per country (2004–2025; automatic qualifications not included)]]
An influx of new broadcasters applying for the {{Escyr|2003||2003 contest}} resulted in the introduction of a semi-final from 2004, with the contest becoming a two-day event.<ref name="new format">{{Cite web |last=Bakker |first=Sietse |date=29 January 2003 |title=EBU confirms new Eurovision Song Contest format |url=http://esctoday.com/1192/ebu_confirms_new_eurovision_song_contest_format/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029133229/http://esctoday.com/1192/ebu_confirms_new_eurovision_song_contest_format/ |archive-date=29 October 2020 |access-date=22 March 2021 |website=esctoday.com}}</ref>{{sfn|O'Connor|2010|pp=172–175}} The top 10 countries in each year's final would qualify automatically to the following year's final, alongside the "Big Four", meaning all other countries would compete in the semi-final to compete for 10 qualification spots.<ref name="Decade Istanbul 04" /> The {{Escyr|2004||2004 contest}} saw a record 36 countries competing, with new entries from {{Esccnty|Albania}}, {{Esccnty|Andorra}}, {{Esccnty|Belarus}}, and {{Esccnty|Serbia and Montenegro}} and the return of previously relegated countries.<ref name="Decade Istanbul 04" />{{sfn|O'Connor|2010|pp=177–179}} The format of this semi-final remained similar to the final proper, taking place a few days before the final; following the performances and the voting window, the names of the 10 countries with the highest number of points, which would therefore qualify for the final, were announced at the end of the show, revealed in a random order by the contest's presenters.<ref name="Decade Istanbul 04" />{{sfn|O'Connor|2010|pp=177–179}}

The single semi-final continued to be held between 2005 and 2007; however, with 42 countries competing in the {{Escyr|2007||2007 contest}}, that year's semi-final had 28 entries competing for 10 spots in the final.<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 January 2012 |title=Countdown to Baku – Helsinki 2007 |url=https://eurovision.tv/story/countdown-to-baku-helsinki-2007 |access-date=2 July 2020 |publisher=Eurovision Song Contest}}</ref> Following criticism over the mainly Central and Eastern European qualifiers at the 2007 event and the poor performance of entries from Western European countries, a second semi-final was subsequently introduced for the {{Escyr|2008||2008 contest}}, with all countries now competing in one of the two semi-finals, with only the host country and the "Big Four", and subsequently the "Big Five" from 2011, qualifying automatically.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Eurovision Song Contest: Two Semi-Finals in 2008 |url=http://www.ebu.ch/CMSimages/en/PR_ESC%20Semi-Finals_01.10.07_EN_tcm6-54154.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120928062242/http://www.ebu.ch/CMSimages/en/PR_ESC%20Semi-Finals_01.10.07_EN_tcm6-54154.pdf |archive-date=28 September 2012 |access-date=2 July 2020 |publisher=[[European Broadcasting Union]]}}</ref><ref name="2 semis announcements">{{Cite web |date=11 January 2008 |title=Two Semi-Finals Eurovision Song Contest in 2008 |url=https://eurovision.tv/story/two-semi-finals-eurovision-song-contest-in-2008 |access-date=2 July 2020 |publisher=Eurovision Song Contest}}</ref> 10 qualification spots would be available in each of the semi-finals, and a new system to split the competing countries between the two semi-finals was introduced based on their geographic location and previous voting patterns, in an attempt to reduce the impact of [[Voting bloc|bloc voting]] and to make the outcome less predictable.<ref name="Semi-Final Allocation">{{Cite web |date=14 January 2017 |title=Eurovision Song Contest: Semi-Final Allocation Draw |url=https://eurovision.tv/about/in-depth/semi-final-allocation-draw/ |access-date=2 July 2020 |publisher=Eurovision Song Contest}}</ref><ref name="08 semi draw">{{Cite web |date=24 January 2008 |title=All you need to know for Monday's draw! |url=https://eurovision.tv/story/all-you-need-to-know-for-monday-s-draw |access-date=2 July 2020 |publisher=Eurovision Song Contest}}</ref>{{sfn|O'Connor|2010|pp=192–195}}