Eurovision Song Contest Reference Group recommends imposing fine on Ukraine for barring Russian entrant from competing in 2017
BRUSSELS. June 29 (Interfax) - The Reference Group of the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) has decided to impose a fine on the Ukrainian National Public Broadcasting Company (UA:PBC) for failing to ensure performance of Russian entrant Yulia Samoilova, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) said in a statement on Thursday.
The UA:PBC failed to fully comply with its commitments concerning cooperation with the EBU as regards the Russian participant's performance, the document says.
"The ESC Reference Group has recommended that UA:PBC should receive a substantial fine, in line with the rules of the competition," it says.
"The host broadcaster failed to adequately fulfill its obligations with regards to co-operating with the EBU over the participation of the Russian artist. As a result of this, attention was drawn away from the competition and the brand reputation of the Eurovision Song Contest was endangered," the statement says.
The ESC Reference Group also recommended not imposing any fine or other penalties on Russia's Channel One for refusing to broadcast the contest after Ukraine had banned Samoilova from entering Ukraine to take part in the competition.
Russia had selected Samoilova to compete in the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'Flame is Burning'. The Ukrainian Security Service decided on March 22 to bar Samoilova's from entering the country for three years for illegally visiting Crimea, which Kyiv considers occupied Ukrainian territory.
