Eurovision 2017 seating tender under criminal ivnestigation
UKRAINE – It gets more sad with the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest host country getting in a turmoil of bad media attention. After the revelation that 15 million Euros, deposited in a Swiss bank as a guarantee to the EBU are withhold due to a lawsuit (with no more information either by EBU and UA:PBX) another scandal emerges.
Seating tender which was originally awarded to Nussli LTD is now investigated. The tender was given to the German based company before Pavlo Hrytsak took over the as UA:PBC Deputy Director. When he did, he didn’t sign the deal and gave the job to Artmaks Engineering with which his company, Euromedia is closely working (last example was the 2013 Junior Eurovision Song Contest).
On the one hand someone can say that he simply changed his mind giving the job to a Ukrainian company instead of paying a German one, but on the other hand there was a tender winner which was not respected. Although it sounds like a scandal it seems to be more of an ethical decision rather than someone trying to gain money. After all it is know that Mr Hrytsak and Euromedia are already successful and not really in the need of public money.
But in any case, the Ukrainian law might see things different and since there is a legal dispute we have to wait and see what the independent Ukrainian justice will decide on the matter.
Eurovision 2018: date and venue announcement by the end of July
PORTUGAL – It is reported by regional fan site, ESCPortugal, that the date and venue of the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest will be decided and announced by the end of July, meeting all the deadlines agreed in the last Reference Group meeting, RTP had on June 13th. The announcement will take place Bothe by the official EBU website and the RTP national broadcaster.
Lisbon, Gondomar, Santa Maria da Feira and Braga are currently the running bidders for hosting the event while there is no indication about the dates yet. European sporting events and venue availability are the two key factors for deciding the date for the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest. Unlike Ukraine last year, Portugal seems to be ready to keep their promises (at least in meeting the deadlines).
Atiye was suppose to represent Turkey in Eurovision 2016
TURKEY – According to eurovisionheadline.de, the author of 2009 Turkish Eurovision entry, Sinan Akcil, Ate ws selected by TRT to represent the country in the Stockholm Eurovision Song Contest edition, speaking to AlemFM in Turkey recently. Few weeks after the decision for the internal selection, though, TRT decided not to participate in the contest. Sinan is also optimistic about Turkey’s return to the Eurovision Song Contest as a new team is appointed to TRT management. ate was also rumoured to represent Turkey in the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Bring me back”