STVR, the Slovakian national broadcaster, have confirmed that they will not be participating at the 2025 Junior Eurovision Song Contest, in Tbilisi.

In regards to participation at both the Eurovision and Junior Eurovision Song Contest, STVR had the following to say:

“Slovakia’s participation in the Eurovision and Junior Eurovision Song Contests has been the subject of several internal analyses in the past. In the long term, it was found that the costs of full participation – including licensing fees, production and logistics – are disproportionately high compared to revenues or overall public perception. As a public institution, it is important for STVR to prioritise investing in original content, the creation of original productions, news and the development of young talent on the national stage.

Participation in the contest is considered annually, but due to the lack of stable management at STVR and the current public budget situation, it was deemed unfeasible at a very early stage. With the arrival of a properly selected management team, we plan to reassess Slovakia’s participation in international projects, including Eurovision. We do not rule out that in the future – assuming favourable budget and programming conditions – we will attempt to return to Eurovision.

STVR has long strived to create space for young artists through radio formats, documentaries, and television, as well as collaborations with festivals and regional initiatives. We are currently preparing several new formats that will focus on music by young creators and original works. We plan to expand our cooperation within the EBU in other areas, for example, the exchange of documentaries, joint projects for children, or thematic music programs. We will focus on formats that are cost-effective and make sense for our audiences.”

Let us know what you think about Slovakia and the 2025 Junior Eurovision Song Contest – either in the comments below or on our FACEBOOK, BLUESKY, TWITTER, YOUTUBE, INSTAGRAM and TIKTOK pages.

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Author: Richard Taylor

Source: ESCspot