In all likelihood, the Public Television of Armenia will have to pay a fine of approximately €120,000 for not partaking in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012, which was held in the Azerbaijani capital city Baku, and not informing the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) in good time of its respective decision.  

This, however, is an unofficial amount based on the information with respect to the amount Malta had to pay to participate in Eurovision 2010. In that year, Malta paid €80,000 as membership fee.

Also, and again in line with unofficial data, Romania had to pay €112,000 for not participating in Eurovision 2012.   

As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, Armenia would have avoided the fine if it would have done that by the deadlines set in the Rules of the Eurovision Song Contest, Communication Coordinator for the Eurovision Family of Events Jarmo Siim said in response to the agency’s question.

He also added that there is no ground to hamper Armenia’s participation next year, if it broadcasts the contest, pays the fine, and preserves the rules for next year’s participation.

The fine for Armenia’s decision to withdraw from the Eurovision 2012 is aimed to preserve the rules and not to punish, head of the Armenian delegation to the Eurovision Gohar Gasparyan earlier told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

“As you know, Armenian Public Television wanted to participate in the song contest despite the anti-Armenian environment in Azerbaijan. However, we decided to withdraw after the Azerbaijani President declared that all the Armenians in the world are number one enemy for them.

Generally both the participation fee, as well as the fine, which is half of the fee, is aimed to respect the rules and not to punish. In addition, as the EBU has not made public the sum, we do not think it is correct to make any comments on the issue,” Gasparyan said, adding that Armenia is obliged to broadcast the contest, otherwise the state will not have the right for the 2013 participation.

Earlier, a group of Armenian singers have turned to the Public Television calling not to participate in the contest in a state like Azerbaijan, which is notorious for having slaughtered Armenians in 1988. Afterwards, Armenia withdrew its candidacy of participation and, instead, had to pay fines.