BBC puts Eurovision participation in doubt after 'decision' announcement
Broadcasters in Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, and Slovenia have already threatened to boycott the competition
BBC director-general Tim Davie has revealed the corporation will "make a decision" on whether it will participate in next year's Eurovision Song Contest. This follows threats from broadcasters in Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland and Slovenia to boycott the competition in Vienna, Austria, should Israel be permitted to compete.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organises Eurovision, announced last week it was consulting members on how to "manage participation and geopolitical tensions" surrounding the song contest and would give them until mid-December to decide if they want to participate.
When pressed to confirm the BBC's Eurovision involvement on The Media Show on BBC Radio 4, Mr Davie responded: "Well, what we're doing very specifically on Eurovision is the European Broadcasting Union hosts Eurovision, they are doing a review on what is the right position in terms of entries that come from broadcasters – what assurances do they need and who can compete, and we're going to let them do their work, and then make a decision."
Addressing the Commons Public Accounts Committee on Monday, Mr Davie insisted Eurovision had "never been about politics" while acknowledging "we're very aware of the concerns".
Spanish public broadcaster RTVE reached the decision for a potential boycott during a board meeting in Madrid, whilst Slovenia's RTVSLO, Ireland's RTE and Dutch public broadcaster Avrotros have declared they will not participate in next year's contest if Israel is amongst the participants.
The leaders of the Scottish Greens, Green Party Northern Ireland, Wales Green Party and Green Party of England and Wales have already urged the BBC to pull Eurovision coverage if Israel takes part.
The BBC encountered similar demands from musician and songwriter Phil Coulter, who co-wrote the UK's triumphant 1967 entry Puppet On A String and claimed there was a "double standard" because Russia and Belarus had previously been kicked out from the contest.
The calls for a boycott are in protest against Israel's offensive in Gaza. The UK is part of the Big Five at Eurovision which is guaranteed entry into the final of the song contest thanks to the level of its financial contributions to the EBU.
This year's Eurovision Song Contest saw Austria's JJ triumph with the emotional song Wasted Love, while Israeli singer Yuval Raphael was the runner-up. Israel made its Eurovision debut in 1973 after it became part of the EBU.
Russia was banned from Eurovision after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, but Israel has continued to compete for the past two years despite disputes over its participation. The Eurovision final is set to take place in Vienna this May.
Speaking at the Royal Television Society's (RTS) Cambridge Convention on Wednesday, Mr Davie urged industry leaders to adopt a bit of "swagger" and "act with urgency" to ensure public service broadcasting (PSB) remains relevant.
This comes ahead of the Government's review of the BBC's charter, which will examine its funding methods, following a commitment to increase the licence fee in line with inflation each year until 2027.
Mr Davie referenced insights from the corporation's recent public engagement survey titled Our BBC, Our Future, emphasising that it was not about "self-survival" but supporting the wider industry as a whole.
"A major priority for me and for the sector is securing the future of a fully funded universal public service BBC," he stated. "Let me be clear. This (the survey) is not about the BBC focusing on self-interest or self-survival.
"It's about a growth plan that makes sure public service broadcast is totally relevant in the new world.
"We are here to serve (the public) and also serve the industry, increasing value for the UK as a whole.
"The BBC is not perfect, you may have noticed, but it acts as precious venture capital. We need to invest in it.
"But more than the BBC, this is about all of us, collectively, putting the right measures in place to nurture a very precious UK growth story, to be confident, to act with urgency and dare I say, adopt a little bit of swagger.
"Setting our sights on good growth and being crystal clear about what we need to do to make it happen, that's what these two days are all about."
This follows after the broadcaster encountered a series of controversies throughout the previous year, including allegations of misconduct against MasterChef host Gregg Wallace and backlash regarding its live broadcast of rap duo Bob Vylan at Glastonbury.
Despite the criticism the corporation has endured, Mr Davie remarked he has "never felt more supported in terms of the need for the BBC".
The charter outlines "the BBC's object, mission and public purposes" alongside its funding arrangements, with the existing charter having commenced in January 2017 and renewal discussions already underway before it expires in December 2027.