Bosnia & Herzegovina will under the current circumstances not be able to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017. Broadcaster BHRT does not have enough funding available and does not see any opportunities for external funding so far.
In an article on Klix.ba, it is outlined that BHRT has recently suffered a big loss of income. The broadcaster now heavily relies on the upcoming session of the House of Representatives of the Bosnian Parliament, where new plans for public broadcasting’s funding will be discussed. If nothing changes, the broadcaster is in big financial trouble and will not be able to afford Eurovision participation.
Head of Delegation Lelja Babovic states that the problem is not Eurovision specific. “Every sport in our country has this problem. We struggle to send good representatives and give them the support that they need. There is almost no state support, and barely support from the private market. That is why we have no right to complain about their results.”
Last year, Deen & Dalal took part for Bosnia & Herzegovina in the Eurovision Song Contest. They finished 11th in the semi final and surprisingly failed to qualify for the Grand Final. Their participation was only possible because Deen and his personal sponsors covered most of the costs. It may still be early in the season, but BHRT is already calling out for help for 2017, as they will again need external funding to be able to take part in Kiev. So far, no market interest has been displayed in the contest, according to Babovic.