Russian TV channel Perviy Kanal said Thursday it will not broadcast the Eurovision Song Contest because of a travel ban imposed on the Russian contestant by Ukraine, this year’s host, Le Figaro reported.
A presenter on the channel said the ban on singer Yulia Samoylova was “unfounded,” and accused Ukraine of politicizing the competition. She said: “Given the circumstances, Perviy Kanal does not consider it possible to broadcast Eurovision 2017.”
The Ukrainian government banned Samoylova because she had performed in Crimea in 2015, after Russia had annexed it from Ukraine. Despite the travel ban, Eurovision organizers said Samoylova could perform via satellite.
Samoylova, …read more
Source: European Voice
