Bulgaria pulls out of Eurovision 2014 song contest
Bulgaria’s public broadcaster Bulgarian National Television (BNT) said on November 22 that it would not participate in the Eurovision 2014 song contest, citing financial reasons.
“Given the cost of this project and pending budget cuts next year, BNT decided to withdraw from Eurovision Song Contest as a first step in the financial constraints the television will have to take,” BNT said in a statement.
In addition to footing the bill for the national contest to select Bulgaria’s Eurovision representative and the costs of presentation in the song contest, which includes the services and special effects during the show, BNT also has to pay a licence fee that has increased steadily over the years and is now double the amount paid by the broadcaster in 2005, which market Bulgaria’s debut in the competition.
In the nine years, Bulgaria’s biggest success in the Eurovision Song Contest was in 2007 in Helsinki, where Elitsa Todorova and Stoyan Yankulov came in fifth with their song Voda.
