LATVIA: EUROVISION SONG CONTEST ORGANISERS VOW NOT TO PULL PLUG ON CONTROVERSIAL RUSSIAN DUO t.A.T.U
Record ID:
643541
LATVIA: EUROVISION SONG CONTEST ORGANISERS VOW NOT TO PULL PLUG ON CONTROVERSIAL RUSSIAN DUO t.A.T.U
- Title: LATVIA: EUROVISION SONG CONTEST ORGANISERS VOW NOT TO PULL PLUG ON CONTROVERSIAL RUSSIAN DUO t.A.T.U
- Date: 25th May 2003
- Summary: (W6)RIGA, LATVIA (MAY 24, 2003) (REUTERS) 1. LV OLD RIGA OVER DAUGAVA RIVER; RIGA OLD TOWN; SLV EXTERIORS SKONTO EXHIBITION COMPLEX (3 SHOTS) 0.20 2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) KRISTINA SMILGA SAYING "I like the participant from Austria, he looks a bit different but I think he is OK. But I cannot really say who will be the winner." 0.29 3. SCU MV PEOPLE GO IN THROUGH SECURITY GATES 0.39 4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ZANE GRINFELDE SAYING "If you ask my personal opinion I am not a great fan of them. I do not like t.A.T.u. But a lot of people do and that can help them." 0.51 5. SLV HORSE MOUNTED POLICE PATROLLING STREETS OUTSIDE SKONTO SPORTS COMPLEX 1.07 (W6)RIGA, LATVIA (RECENT - MAY 22, 2003) (REUTERS) 6. MV RUSSIAN DUO t.A.T.u. ARRIVING AT RECEPTION IN RIGA, POSING FOR PICTURES (3 SHOTS) 1.47 (W6)RIGA, LATVIA (MAY 24, 2003) (REUTERS) 7. SLV PAN INTERIOR CONCERT HALL WHERE THE CONTEST WILL TAKE PLACE 1.55 8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SARAH YUEN, SHOW COORDINATOR, SAYING "Screens will absolutely not go black, t.A.T.u. will get their three minutes. We will not have endless pictures of the crowd - if something will happen on stage we will show it but it will depend from how far. And in the end of the day we will have to make a decision to disqualify them before the voting procedure." 2.12 9. MV /SLV JOURNALISTS WATCHING T.A.T.U REHEARSAL AT PRESS-CENTRE 2.28 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 9th June 2003 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: RIGA, LATVIA
- Country: Latvia
- Reuters ID: LVA6U0BX5MX0CEBII7SG4LUUH1NV
- Story Text: Some 160 million viewers across Europe and beyond might
get a glimpse of lesbian kissing or even nudity in this year's
Eurovision, as organisers vowed on Saturday not to pull the
plug on Russian pop duo t.A.T.u.
Latvia was on Saturday (May 24, 2003) putting the finishing
touches to preparations for the Eurovision Song Contest as the
ex-Soviet state, which is set to join the European Union next
year, prepares to host the pop-song fest.
The 26 artists will perform on a 35-metre (115-foot) high,
1,200-metre-square (13,000-square-foot) stage, decorated with
curves, astronomic spheres and mobile projectors.
Latvia, a country of 2.35 million people, hopes to put
itself in the international spotlight through the event,
following the example of neighbour Estonia, which hosted the
contest last year.
Strict security measures are in place, with body and bag
screening and 40 video surveillance cameras in place.
The 48th Eurovision Song Contest will involve performers
from Iceland, Austria, Ireland, Turkey, Malta, Bosnia,
Portugal, Croatia, Cyprus, Germany, Russia, Spain, Israel, the
Netherlands, Britain, Ukraine, Greece, Norway, France, Poland,
Latvia, Belgium, Estonia, Romania, Sweden and Slovenia.
But most attention is focused on the Russian lesbian duo
t.A.T.u., who as many suspect will try to ambush the 48th
Eurovision by staging some sexy act on stage.
Some 160 million viewers across Europe and beyond might
get a glimpse of lesbian kissing or even nudity, as organisers
vowed on Saturday not to pull the plug on Russian pop duo
t.A.T.u.
"Screens will absolutely not go black, t.A.T.u. will get
their three minutes. We will not have endless pictures of the
crowd if something will happen on stage we will show it but it
will depend from how far. And in the end of the day we will
have to make a decision to disqualify them before the voting
procedure," said show coordinator Sarah Yuen.
The organisers had threatened to switch to footage from
rehearsals if the two 18-year-old girls' live performance
became too raunchy on the big night but the European
Broadcasting Union has no tape of the t.A.T.u. performance, as
the girls have erred in every dress rehearsal, with one of the
pair, Julia Volkova, not showing up for the last two due to a
sore throat.
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