Russia’s Channel One has refused to broadcast the Eurovision Song Contest.
The TV channel says the reason is the entry ban imposed by Ukraine on Russia’s entrant for violating Ukrainian laws. The European Broadcasting Union, the contest organiser, tried to solve the issue concerning Yulia Samoylova’s participation in the event in Kyiv. The EBU director even sent a letter to Ukrainian PM Volodymyr Groysman.
The EBU failed to persuade the Ukrainian authorities to make an exception for the contest. Moreover, Ukraine’s president Petro Poroshenko spoke in favour of the ban and called Russia’s choice of a performer a provocation. Ukraine emphasised that another entrant, who didn’t violate the country’s laws, could participate in the event.
The European Broadcasting Union informed Russia’s Channel One that it failed to solve the issue over Yulia Samoylova’s participation. Both proposed solutions – performing via satellite from Russia or changing the entrant – were declined by Moscow. As a result, Channel One chose not to broadcast the contest in Russia. VGTRK media group supported the decision. It means that Russian audience won’t see Eurovision this year.
“I deeply regret the fact that the ESC is being abused for political action. The Eurovison Song Contest is supposed to delight and bring together millions of people; it must not be used to incite them against each other,” EBU director Ingrid Deltenre commented on the conflict.
She said earlier that some broadcasters, angry at Kyiv’s decision, might boycott the contest. Deltenre also questioned Ukraine’s further participation in the contest due to this year’s political conflict. Ukraine insists that no concessions can be made in the issue.
The Security Service of Ukraine barred Russia's Eurovision entrant Yulia Samoylova from entering the country after she visited Crimea in 2015, violating Ukrainian border crossing laws. The violation is punished with a three-year ban on entering the country, which means that the singer can’t perform in Kyiv. The Eurovision Song Contest 2017 will be held in the Ukrainian capital on May 9 – May 13.
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