Russia may be suspended from Eurovision next year
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) does not exclude the possibility of Russia's suspension from participation in Eurovision next year. This was reported by Russia’s TASS new agency, citing the official representative of the EBU, Dave Goodman. According to him, such a decision can be made only after the song contest in Kyiv.
According to the current rules of the contest, Russia may be deprived of the right to send its representative to the competition next year because of its refusal to broadcast Eurovision-2017.
“Right now [our] focus is on this year’s contest. Any decision on actions that may or may not be taken around this situation will only be taken after the event itself," the EBU spokesman stated in response to a related question from journalists.
The Director General of Channel One, Konstantin Ernst, commented the possible suspension of Russia in an interview with the Kommersant newspaper. He said that the rule that a country or TV channel that does not broadcast Eurovision does not participate in the contest the next year does not apply to Russia.
"Such a rule existed. But since we will not be intentionally engaging in the violation of the rules of the European Broadcasting Union, this does not apply to us," Ernst said.
He explained that in the situation regarding Eurovision this year, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) itself violated the rules. "According to the rules of ‘Eurovision’, the host country should ensure that the participants and accompanying delegation receive their entry visas. What happened is an unprecedented event in all 62 years of the history of the contest. I'm very sorry that ‘Eurovision’ has given in to the Ukrainian authorities," Ernst added.
Earlier, the European Broadcasting Union announced that Russia would not be able to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest, which Ukraine is hosting.
"Following the official confirmation that Russian Eurovision entrant [Yulia Samoylova] will not be permitted to travel to Kyiv to compete in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017, the EBU formally offered two alternative proposals," the press service of the European Broadcasting Union said. The EBU invited Russian TV Channel One to either take part in the competitions via satellite, or to replace the artist. However, the management of the channel rejected both proposals and refused to broadcast the contest itself, the union stated with regret.
At the end of March, the Security Service of Ukraine banned Yulia Samoylova, who in June 2015 took part in a gala concert in the Crimea, from entry to the country’s territory from Russia for three years.
The day before, Channel One issued a statement that it refuses to broadcast the competition, and believes that Ukraine is trying to turn an event based on friendship, love and creativity into a political show.