EBU issues statement over events in Ukraine

The European Broadcast Union has issued a statement in light of events in Ukraine.

The statement reads: “The EBU executive board, in light of ongoing events in Ukraine, has decided to suspend representatives from its three Russian members (RTR, Channel One and RDO) from serving in its governance groups, including the executive board and all statutory committees. This follows the decision taken last week to exclude Russia from the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest.”

The statement continues to explain that in taking this action, the executive board took note of the public statement issued by the three member organizations on Feb. 26 announcing their intention to withdraw from the EBU – a decision taken as a direct result of Russia’s exclusion from Eurovision. The EBU said that the members verbally confirmed their intent to leave and that it is awaiting their formal confirmation.

The statement concludes that the suspension will remain in effect until the executive board gives further notice.