Ukraine faces large fine after Russia Eurovision row: EBU

[June 29, 2017]   GENEVA (Reuters) - The European Broadcasting Union said on Thursday that Ukraine faced a large fine due to severe delays in the organization of May's Eurovision song contest in Kiev and a lack of cooperation with the EBU over the participation of a Russian artist.

"As a result of this, attention was drawn away from the competition and the brand reputation of the Eurovision Song Contest was endangered," the EBU said in a statement.

"Therefore the contest's steering committee ... has recommended that UA:PBC (Ukraine's state broadcaster) should receive a substantial fine, in line with the rules of the competition," it said, without saying how much Ukraine would have to pay.

Ukraine, the host country, barred entry to the Russian contestant because she had performed in Crimea after the Ukrainian peninsula was annexed by Russia.

(Reporting by Tom Miles; Writing by Alessandra Prentice in Kiev; editing by Matthias Williams and Toby Chopra)

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