Sanremo voting needs fixing - RAI chief

(ANSA) - Rome, February 11 - The head of State broadcaster RAI said Monday that the voting system used to select the winner of Italy's much-loved and long-standing Sanremo Song festival needs fixing. There was controversy at the weekend when Italian-Egyptian singer Mahmood won the 2019 contest thanks to the backing of a panel of experts and journalists outweighing votes by viewers. Interior Minister and Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini commented on the controversy, saying he would have chosen the song by Ultimo, the performer who came second.
    "There was a clear imbalance between the popular vote and the jury made up of a few dozen people that caused controversy," RAI President Marcello Foa told the network's UnoMattina show.
    "This is the real point that it is necessary to reflect on.
    Does this system work or not? "It should clearly be fixed so that the public feels represented". The five-day festival is broadcast on the State broadcaster's flagship RAI1 channel.