Romania has suffered a fate worse than nul points after being booted out of this year’s Eurovision competition because it failed to clear its debts to the European Broadcasting Union.
The EBU, which runs Eurovision, said Romania’s national broadcaster, Televiziunea Romana, had failed to pay debts totalling more than £7.9m.
Ingrid Deltenre, director general of the EBU, said it was “regrettable that we are forced to take this action” but four attempts to get a response from the Romanian government had received no reply.
“The continued indebtedness of TVR jeopardises the financial stability of the EBU itself,” Deltenre said, confirming that the Romanian act, Ovidiu Anton, would be taken out of the running order of the second semi-final on May 12,2016
When the expulsion was first rumoured, TVR insisted it had paid off debts for the period 2008 to 2012, but added:
“The latest payment was made in January this year in the amount of €250,000 after which TVR informed the international organisation that it can’t sustain these payments any more.”
On Monday April 18,2016, Romania’s prime minister, Dacian Ciolos, said the government would seek a solution to avoid being locked out of the competition. A deadline for payment was extended until Thursday, but no payment was received, according to EBU.
Romania has never finished higher than third in the competition in 22 years of participating. The contest will be held in Sweden this year, with the final on May 14,2016
The ruling may also affect whether Televiziunea Romana can broadcast Euro 2016 and this summer’s Olympic Games in Rio.
The EBU, which runs Eurovision, said Romania’s national broadcaster, Televiziunea Romana, had failed to pay debts totalling more than £7.9m.
Ingrid Deltenre, director general of the EBU, said it was “regrettable that we are forced to take this action” but four attempts to get a response from the Romanian government had received no reply.
“The continued indebtedness of TVR jeopardises the financial stability of the EBU itself,” Deltenre said, confirming that the Romanian act, Ovidiu Anton, would be taken out of the running order of the second semi-final on May 12,2016
When the expulsion was first rumoured, TVR insisted it had paid off debts for the period 2008 to 2012, but added:
“The latest payment was made in January this year in the amount of €250,000 after which TVR informed the international organisation that it can’t sustain these payments any more.”
On Monday April 18,2016, Romania’s prime minister, Dacian Ciolos, said the government would seek a solution to avoid being locked out of the competition. A deadline for payment was extended until Thursday, but no payment was received, according to EBU.
Romania has never finished higher than third in the competition in 22 years of participating. The contest will be held in Sweden this year, with the final on May 14,2016
The ruling may also affect whether Televiziunea Romana can broadcast Euro 2016 and this summer’s Olympic Games in Rio.
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