News - Armenia plans to join the Eurovision Song Contest | Eurovision Song Contest News - 2009 Moscow, Russia 

Armenia has plans to join the Eurovision Song Contest in the future. Diana Mnatsakanyan, Responsible for International Relations at the Public TV Company of Armenia, told that to esctoday.com. The Armenian broadcaster has already acquired the rights to broadcast the Eurovision Song Contest the next three years.

The Public TV Company of Armenia has broadcast the Eurovision Song Contest semi final and final in 2004 and has acquired the rights to broadcast the Eurovision Song Contest in 2005, 2006 and 2007. "We are planning to become an Active Member of the European Broadcasting Union and further to join the Eurovision Song Contest," explains Ms Mnatsakanyan. She adds that it's not so easy to do so and that it's a matter of hard work in order to become an EBU Active Member. The Armenian Public Radio and Television had made a first small step towards the Eurovision Song Contest in July 2004 when it became an Associate Member of the European Broadcasting Union. However, only Active Members can participate at the Eurovision Song Contest. EBU currently counts 52 Active Members, 40 of them will participate in the 2005 Eurovision Song Contest.