The Eurovision Song Contest has hit a major setback after 21 top level staff organising the event resigned 86 days before the final. Among the team members who resigned were two executive producers of this year's show.
"Hereby we, the Eurovision team, for whom this contest has become not only part of our work but also part of our life, officially inform that we are resigning and stopping work on preparations for the organisation of the contest."
The Ukrainian Eurovision team say they were stripped of major responsibilities in December, when a new boss Pavlo Hrytsak (pictured above) was appointed to the organising committee. They said preparations stopped for almost two months after the appointment and the work of their team was completely blocked.
They also said a decision to increase the event's budget to 29m euro (£24.5m), up from 22m euro (£18.6m) would deprive Ukraine's state broadcaster of millions in profit.
Zurab Alasania, head of Ukraine's national TV and radio company, resigned amidst reports that the country was having troubles financing the song contest late last year already.
The EBU, which founded Eurovision, told Ukraine's public broadcaster to stick to the timeline despite the upheaval. It insists the event would go ahead as planned in Kiev this May.
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