Despite the mediocre final result for the country's entry, the Eurovision 2009 Song Contest got big ratings in Lithuania.
VILNIUS — Lithuania will not participate in the 2010 Eurovision contest unless it can find sponsors willing to foot the 300,000 litai (€86,000) bill, the Lithuanian National Radio and Television company said this week.
“Our budget for next year is cut 19 percent and it is not easy for us to support it,” Vytaras Radzevičius, spokesperson for LRT, told Baltic Reports. “We are trying to find some sponsers for this project.”
Radzevičius acknowledged that the contest, which has been broadcast annually since 1956, is a big draw and could bring in large advertising revenues. But, he said that because of the economy, LRT is “still working on it.”
The Eurovision contest will take place next year in Oslo from May 25 to 27.
If LRT had not declined to participate this year by the cutoff date on Monday, the company would have had to pay fines since they could not yet pay for inclusion. However, the European Broadcasting Union, which runs Eurovision and of which LRT is a member, is still open to accepting their bid.
“It is possible that we will participate if we will find some support,” he said.
Lithuania has never won the Eurovision contest. Estonia and Latvia won the contest in 2001 and 2002 respectively. Perhaps Lithuania’s most memorable song in recent times was from 2006, “We Are the Winners,” which was performed by LT United, where the members of the band sang the words “we are the winners of Eurovision” 13 times in under three minutes. They finished in sixth place.
Lithuania’s 2009 entry, R&B crooner Sasha Son, finished in a disappointing 23rd place after making it into the final round. No new contestant for Lithuania had been picked for next year’s contest.
Latvia and Estonia have confirmed that they are participating in the contest. Andorra, Hungary and Montenegro will also not participate in next year’s contest because of financial reasons. The Czech Republic will not participate due to lack of interest.
I’m sure, they’ll find money. Estonia had wanted to give up as well. But Estonian businessmen has come with financial aid. So will be in Lithuania!
Lithuania should look for business’ outside of Lietuva. There are so many Lithuanians who would love to support.