As countries start their preparations for the upcoming edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, one nation has ruled out their participation. Liechtenstein’s national broadcaster 1FLTV has confirmed the nation will not debut at next year’s Contest.
EBU poses problems for Liechtenstein
1FLTV, the public broadcaster for Liechtenstein, confirmed to ESC Today that the micronation will not be participating at the upcoming edition of the Contest. The broadcaster faces issues trying to take part, as it is not a member of the EBU. As well as this, the broadcaster is not an Associate Member of the union, which means that Liechtenstein is ineligible to take part in the Contest.
Liechtenstein has a history of trying to join the Eurovision family, but logistical issues have meant that the Alpine nation could not make it to the stage. Back in 1976, the Liechtenstein government had selected “My Little Cowboy” by Biggi Bachmann following a two-song national selection. However, a mix-up with the Liechtensteiner government meant that the country could not participate as they had no broadcaster.
1FLTV was created in 2008, acting as the first broadcaster based in the tiny country. Two years later, 1FLTV officially submitted its application to join the EBU. However, plans to join the EBU were stalled when the channel’s director Peter Kölbel unexpectedly passed away. Since then, the broadcaster has not pursued joining the EBU – and thus, the Contest.
In addition to the need to join the EBU, money is also an issue for the micronation. 1FLTV currently receives little to no financial support from the government. As a result, the cost of joining the EBU – alongside participation costs – would rely heavily on the budget provided by the government. This means that Liechtenstein will not be joining the Contest any time soon.
What do you make of 1FLTV’s non-participation? Do you think that Liechtenstein will ever get to debut at Eurovision? As always, let us know what you think by commenting below. Also, be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tiktok as we start looking at Eurovision 2024!
News Source: ESC Today
Photo Credit: Marie Wilson / Peak Visor
