EBU gives UA:PBC 20 days to officially confirm appeal

UA:PBC has confirmed that it will appeal the €198,000 fine that was handed to them by the EBU. They have been given a deadline of 20 days in order to appeal the decision.

Preparing to fight their case

The head of the Ukrainian broadcaster has confirmed that they have been given 20 days to confirm the appeal. In this time, they must also prepare their arguments and the necessary documents required to proceed with the appeal.
The planning for Kyiv was marred with controversies and delays. Overall, the key issues included the following:

• The timescale for selecting the host city for 2017.
• The organisers of the show quitting the production team.
• The Russian participant Yulia Samoilova being barred from entering Ukrainian soil. This was the result of her performing in Russian-annexed Crimea.

Due to all of these things occurring, the EBU had no choice but to hand the Ukrainian broadcaster a fine. Furthermore, in a statement they mentioned:

“Attention was drawn away from the competition and the brand reputation of the Eurovision Song Contest was endangered.”

Ukraine fight back

However, UA:PBC has also released a statement last week. They explain why they believe the EBU should not hand the broadcaster a fine (translated from Ukrainian):

“The National Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine, as the host broadcaster of Eurovision 2017, has made every effort to ensure the Eurovision Song Contest in Kyiv was successful. The quality of the organisation of Eurovision 2017 was highly appreciated not only by the delegations of the participating countries and viewers but also the European Broadcasting Union.

Despite this, the EBU said it is considering sanctions against UA: PBC. This is because the host broadcaster could not ensure the participation of the singer from Russia, Yulia Samoilova, in the competition.

The decision to ban Yulia Samoilova entry into the territory of Ukraine for a period of three years was taken by the Security Service of Ukraine in connection with the unlawful entry of the singer into occupied Crimea.

“Eurovision can not be used to justify violating Ukrainian laws”

In this regard, UA: PBC reports that it strictly adhered to the laws of Ukraine, and adhered to the decision made by the relevant authorities. It does not find it possible to violate the laws of the state under any circumstances. Eurovision, like any other international competition, can not be an exception and be used to justify the violation of the laws of the country.

In addition, UA: PBC stresses that the public broadcaster is not the body that controls the borders or can affect the legislation of Ukraine. The question of laws regarding border crossings and appropriate sanctions for non-compliance does not lie within the responsibility of the National Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine (UA: PBC).

Given the above, the UA: PBC finds the sanctions unsubstantiated. UA:PBC challenge such sanctions under the rules in force at the European Broadcasting Union.”

So, do you think that the penalty that was handed to Ukraine fair? Or do you think they should not be fined at all? Let us know your thoughts below.