RTÉ and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) insisted they remain close partners despite Ireland’s absence from this year’s Eurovision Song Contest.
RTÉ said it remains an “active member” of the EBU network of broadcasters in 56 countries, after a dispute over Israel saw it and four other countries – Spain, the Netherlands, Iceland and Slovenia – withdraw from this year’s contest.
The Irish broadcaster said it continued to share and draw on content via the EBU News Exchange, which includes Israeli state broadcaster Kan.
“We access news materials from the EBU News Exchange as part of our impartial news coverage,” said Laura Fitzgerald, RTÉ communications manager. “Kan uploads news materials to the exchange daily as do all EBU exchange members.”
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Despite Ireland’s absence in Vienna, EBU director general Noel Curran, a former RTÉ director general, said “the future of the Dublin-Geneva relationship is very secure”.
“RTÉ is a vital member of the EBU,” he said. “We want to continue to engage proactively with all the members not taking part in the Eurovision Song Contest this year to see how we can get them back in the competition.”
Beyond the song contest, the EBU’s calling card, Curran said the Irish broadcaster remained a positive and co-operative part of the public media exchange of news footage, sports rights and musical exchanges.
Israel qualified for Saturday evening’s grand final in Vienna during the first semi-final on Tuesday night, where singer Noam Bettan’s performance of the song Michelle received a mixed response.
A voice in the crowd was heard shouting “stop, stop the genocide” when Bettan came on stage and throughout the first verse of the song.
BBC commentator Angela Scanlon noted afterwards that “some of the audience seem to be giving their opinions on Israel’s continued participation in the song contest”.
After the EBU confirmed Israel’s participation in Vienna, RTÉ said it would be “unconscionable” to participate “given the appalling loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis ... the targeted killing of journalists in Gaza during the conflict and the continued denial of access to international journalists to the territory”.
RTÉ will not broadcast the final on Saturday night, instead showing a Father Ted repeat.
[ RTÉ to air Father Ted Eurovision episode in boycott of song contestOpens in new window ]
Other European public media broadcasters, including Germany’s ARD and Austrian host broadcaster ORF, threatened to stay away if Israel was excluded.
After last year’s voting patterns saw a late Israel surge through public voting, organisers have limited to 10 the number of votes each viewer can make this year.
Eurovision director Martin Green said a formal warning letter had been issued to Kan, the Israeli broadcaster, after videos were shown with an on-screen instruction to “vote 10 times for Israel”.
Curran said its public media members were facing “intense and increasing” pressures to remain relevant and connected to audiences in a time of transformation in the media landscape.
“Public service media remains the most trusted source of news in Europe, with the highest audience reach in Europe and the biggest investment in original European content,” he said. “That’s our greatest protection.”
