Lack of funds may stop Ukraine from hosting Eurovision

Huge costs and a lack of funds may mean that Ukraine cannot host the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest, according to television executives.

Eurovision 2017 was set to take place in Ukraine following the victory of the country’s representative, Jamala, in the 2016 contest with the song 1944. In September, Kiev was selected to host Eurovision, bringing the competition to the Ukrainian capital for the second time.

However, a funding crisis may mean that Ukraine is unable to host. The country had budgeted $14 million for what had been termed an “austerity Eurovision”.

The crisis has already led to the resignation of Zurab Alasania, the head of the country’s national broadcaster NTU.

“Overcoming the resistance of bureaucrats is very difficult, and we didn’t complain until recently. But now we are just desperate. We wouldn’t be able to organise Eurovision in 2017,” Mr Alasania stated in an interview with newspaper Ukrainska Pravda. He has also confirmed that he will continue to work on the contest until NTU has a new director general.

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the body that organises the contest, have said they are aware of the Ukrainian broadcaster’s situation and “are doing everything [they] can to assist them in their hosting of the 62nd Eurovision Song Contest”.

Source: The Telegraph