The EBU has issued the following statement in regard to its Russian member broadcasters. The statement followed reports in Russian state media that broadcasters RTR, Channel One, and Radio House Ostankino intended to withdraw their EBU Membership.
“We have not received any formal confirmation from our Members at this moment”
The reports of the potential withdrawal of Russian broadcasters followed the EBU’s announcement that Russia would not be allowed to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest. While many other countries and broadcasters have called for Russia to be expelled from the EBU outright, the organisation emphasized that they have not yet made a decision.
The EBU also stated that Russian broadcasters warned them that withdrawal would be a consequence of their actions. However, the organisation re-iterated that they remained “committed to upholding the values of public service media”.
We stand with all our Members who are working under extremely challenging circumstances to bring impartial reporting to their audiences – supporting media freedom must now be a priority for all sides in this conflict.
Official EBU Statement
Other EBU Members Call for Expulsion of Russian Broadcasters
Meanwhile, several EBU members had made statements on Friday that called for the EBU to expel Russian broadcasters in response to the unlawful invasion of Ukraine.
These include:
- UA:PBC (Ukraine)
- ERR (Estonia)
- LRT (Lithuania)
- NRK (Norway)
- SVT (Sweden)
- YLE (Finland)
- RUV (Iceland)
- DR (Denmark)
- AVROTROS (The Netherlands)
Additionally, 2022 Latvian Representatives Citi Zeni spoke out in a statement made via Twitter. In it, they pled for “the sound of beauty” not to become “the sound of war”.
If you wish to read more about the unfolding situation in Ukraine, r/Ukraine has a pinned post with links to information, resources, and places to donate if you wish to do so.
News Source: EBU
Photo Source: EBU
