Eurovision Song Contest to Go Out Across 39 Pubcasters

GENEVA: There are 39 European public broadcasters that are participating in the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest, which will take place in May.

The 58th Eurovision Song Contest is set for May 14, 16 and 18, 2013, in the Swedish city of Malmö. Every year since 2004, between 36 and 43 broadcasters have taken part in the competition. This year, those on board are: Albania (RTSH), Austria (ORF), Armenia (AMPTV), Azerbaijan (Ictimai TV), Belarus (BTRC), Belgium (RTBF), Bulgaria (BNT), Croatia (HRT), Cyprus (CyBC), Denmark (DR), Estonia (ERR), Finland (YLE), France (France3), Georgia (GPB), Germany (NDR), Greece (ERT), Hungary (MTV), Iceland (RÚV), Ireland (RTÉ), Israel (IBA), Italy (RAI), Latvia (LTV), Lithuania (LRT), FYR Macedonia (MKRTV), Malta (PBS), Moldova (TRM), Montenegro (RTCG), the Netherlands (TROS), Norway (NRK), Romania (TVR), Russia (C1R), San Marino (SMTV), Serbia (RTS), Slovenia (RTVSLO), Spain (TVE), Sweden (SVT), Switzerland (SRG SSR), Ukraine (NTU) and United Kingdom (BBC).

Bosnia & Herzegovina (BHRT), Portugal (RTP), Slovakia (STV) and Turkey (TRT) will not come to Malmö, while Armenia (AMPTV) will return to the contest after a one-year absence. Turkish broadcaster TRT has decided to withdraw, blaming amendments to the rules.

“Despite the challenging economic situation in Europe, a healthy number of public broadcasters have committed to the long-standing tradition that the Contest has become,” said Jon Ola Sand, the executive supervisor of the song contest at the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).