RTVSLO, the Slovenian national broadcaster, has announced today that it will reconsider its Eurovision participation if no concrete steps are taken.
The Slovenian national broadcaster has called for open discussion among the EBU’s members in the wake of the latest developments in order to discuss the transparencey on this year’s voting system and participation policies.
This comes after broadcasters in Spain and Belgium have also requested the EBU for an open discussion regarding the voting system at ESC and various other issues.
Ksenija Horvat the Director of RTVSLO wrote a letter to the EBU addressing the Slovenian national broadcaster’s concerns:
As the director of Television Slovenia, I am once again addressing you with serious and growing concerns regarding Israel’s continued participation in EBU events, especially the Eurovision Song Contest
Unfortunately, the response we received did not contain convincing or concrete explanations, nor did it reflect the urgency and seriousness of the issue we are addressing. During this time, the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories has worsened, and public concern – both in Slovenia and throughout Europe – has increased significantly.
Many viewers in Slovenia and elsewhere expressed serious doubts about the credibility and transparency of the voting, especially in the political context surrounding the contest. The feeling that political interests could influence decisions on participation or the final results of the vote shook the public’s trust in the impartiality of the EBU.
We are particularly interested in comparing telephone votes with online votes, as we believe this is essential to restoring trust in the integrity of the voting process. As public media, we have a duty to provide our audience with accurate and verifiable information.
As a public media outlet responsible to the public, Television Slovenia is under increasing pressure to respond to such concerns. If the EBU does not take concrete steps and address the issues, we will consider our participation in future Eurovision events.
We will be forced to do so if the EBU continues to fail to address these key issues from both an ethical and public interest perspective.
Ms. Horvat has called upon the EBU to convene:
An open, inclusive and urgent debate among its members – including music performers and civil society representatives – on voting transparency, engagement policies and ensuring that the EBU’s values are consistently and credibly implemented .
Ms. Horvat concludes her letter to the EBU and hopes RTVSLO receives:
A serious and substantive response and to restore trust in the transparency, accountability and values to which the EBU is committed.
