Artists of City Records, one of the biggest record companies in Serbia and Montenegro, apparently withdrew from Beovizija, the song festival that will determine Serbia and Montenegro's first Eurovision Song Contest entry in over a decade.

Trouble started when RTV Pink, the biggest rival of Serbian national broadcaster RTS, became interested in broadcasting Beovizija but RTS refused. This resulted by an ultimatum by Pink's partner City Records to its artist: 'appearance on national television will be sanctioned by RTV Pink'. They all withdrew from the festival. Later it was rumoured that Beovizija is because of this in jeopardy, since apparently the majority of submitted songs were by City Records artists.

City records' Romana Panić, �eljko Samard�ić and the duo Zana (pictured) have all submitted songs, since they see Beovizija as a great opportunity to launch themselves in the European market, not to mention that many artists have fond memories of Jugovizija (national final of the former Yugoslavia) and that the winner will be awarded a grand prize of 5000 euros.

Artistic director of Beovizija Marina Tucaković said in an interview that she doesn't know why City records won't allow its artist to appear at Beovizija and that some artists nonetheless submitted songs which were not bad at all. She categorically refused the possibilty that the quality of the festival will be harmed by nonappearance of some of the most popular artists in Serbia. Despite the fact that most of the (apparently already) selected songs will not be performed, Beovizija will, of course, not be cancelled.

The director of City Records Bane Stojanović named a few reasons for the boycott. First is, as he explains, that Beovizija is a “private festival of three people, camouflaged with the national broadcaster RTS”. He continues by saying that a lot of financial input is put into promotion of his artists and thus he will not allow somebody else make decisions on when and where City Records artist will appear and make some money along the way as well.

When the Zoran �ivanović of the duo Zana was asked to comment he said: “Me and Jelena (Galonić, the other half of the group) have decided not to comment on Beovizija. An interview would be more suitable to explain everything, a single comment is not acceptable.”

Beovizija takes place over three days in late February with semifinals on 20th and 21st and the big final on 22 February.

A source from RTS stated on Gay Serbia forum that �eljko Joksimović, Sergej Cetković (of Montenegro), Madam Piano, Tanja Banjanin, Mari Mari and boy band Peti element were the familiar names among the selected.