EBU fines Armenia for withdrawing from Eurovision 2012
European Broadcasting Union fined Armenian broadcaster AMPTV for withdrawing from Eurovision international song contest, Russian news agency ITAR-TASS said.
Director of Media Relations of the European Broadcasting Union, Annika Nyberg-Frankenhauzer, told the news agency 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; otherwise Armenia will be banned to participate in Eurovision 2013.
The EBU has been studying the withdrawal closely. They have not taken into account the inducements why Armenia withdrew from the contest.
“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.
Armenian Public Television announced it will not take part in this year's Eurovision Song Contest, which is to be hosted in Azerbaijan.