EBU: Armenia to face sanctions for late withdrawal

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Director of Media Relations of the European Broadcasting Union, Annika Nyberg-Frankenhauzer, has informed soviet news agency ITAR-TASS on details regarding Armenian broadcaster AMPTV’s sanctions after withdrawing from this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Azerbaijan.

After failing to provide an entry to Europe’s most watched television show, the Armenian national broadcaster has been forced to pay their regular participation fee towards the show – plus an extra 50% of this fee. Furthermore, on top of this the state channel must broadcast all three shows of the competition live, with no interruptions.

According to Ms. Nyberg-Frankenhauzer, the EBU has been studying the withdrawal closely. They have now implemented these penalties on the broadcasting company, no matter the political relations between the Caucasian countries. In case AMPTV ignores the conditions given by the broadcasting union, the country could lose the right to participate in further editions of the contest.

Nyberg-Frankenhauzer added: “There are regulations, and after a certain period of time a country wishing to take part in the competition, can not change its decision”, due the late-withdrawal of Armenia this year.