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Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
May 4 2012
Armenia fined for Eurovision pull-out
ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News
Armenian band Dorians was meant to represent the state at Eurovision
2012 in Baku.
The European Broadcasting Union has ordered Armenia to pay its entire
participation fee, as well as a fine of 50 per cent, after the country
pulled out of the Eurovision song contest in Azerbaijani capital Baku
after the deadline for quitting had passed.
In addition, Armenia's public television will be obliged to broadcast
the contest's final live on the Eurovision night. If it does not
comply with these measures, the country may be forced to skip
Eurovision 2013.
Armenia's decision to boycott the contest was made after a 20-year-old
Armenian soldier was shot dead on the border between the states.
Initial reports suggested he was killed by an Azerbaijani sniper,
although Baku insists the cause was friendly fire.
Following the soldier's death, Armenian celebrities called on the
country's public television to boycott the competition, claiming
Armenian performers would not be safe in Azerbaijan.
The two countries fought a war over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh in
the 1990s. No peace deal has been signed since the 1994 ceasefire.
The boycott announcement was published on the official Eurovision
website, saying that Armenia had decided not to participate in the
song contest to be held between May 22-26.
May/04/2012
May 4 2012
Armenia fined for Eurovision pull-out
ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News
Armenian band Dorians was meant to represent the state at Eurovision
2012 in Baku.
The European Broadcasting Union has ordered Armenia to pay its entire
participation fee, as well as a fine of 50 per cent, after the country
pulled out of the Eurovision song contest in Azerbaijani capital Baku
after the deadline for quitting had passed.
In addition, Armenia's public television will be obliged to broadcast
the contest's final live on the Eurovision night. If it does not
comply with these measures, the country may be forced to skip
Eurovision 2013.
Armenia's decision to boycott the contest was made after a 20-year-old
Armenian soldier was shot dead on the border between the states.
Initial reports suggested he was killed by an Azerbaijani sniper,
although Baku insists the cause was friendly fire.
Following the soldier's death, Armenian celebrities called on the
country's public television to boycott the competition, claiming
Armenian performers would not be safe in Azerbaijan.
The two countries fought a war over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh in
the 1990s. No peace deal has been signed since the 1994 ceasefire.
The boycott announcement was published on the official Eurovision
website, saying that Armenia had decided not to participate in the
song contest to be held between May 22-26.
May/04/2012