Is Romania’s Eurovision 2024 participation in jeopardy? Is TVR planning to withdraw from the competition next year?

Speculation is rife in the Romanian media regarding the alleged withdrawal of Romania from the Eurovision Song Contest in 2024. Romanian media platform Libertatea is running an article where it reports that TVR does not intend to send in its application for competing at Eurovision 2024 due to financial reasons.

According to the media outlet TVR spent 400,000 Euros for the 2023 Romanian Eurovision participation. Libertetea got in touch with with TVR in order to shed more light on this matter and got the following answer:

The subject of participation in Eurovision 2024 was not discussed at the level of SRTv management, which is why, for now, no decision has been made in this regard.

TVR is neither confirming or declining the latest rumors to the Romanian news portal and has told them that there has no decision been made yet on Romania’s Eurovision 2024 participation.

TVR’s Board of Directors has to approve the budget for Romania’s Eurovision participation, only the participating fee mounts up to 180,000 Euros, plus the Romanian broadcaster has to cover the accommodation, flights, expenses of the Romanian delegation and artist and also cover the costs of organizing a televised national selection in order to select the Romanian Eurovision entry and act.

According to ESCToday:

We must note that the deadline for broadcasters to submit their applications to compete at the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest has been set on Friday 15 September 2023. Hereafter broadcasters have until 11 October 2023 to withdraw their applications without a penalty.

We should not forget that many times broadcasters initially submit and later decide to withdraw their applications within the time frame set by the EBU without facing a financial penalty. So there is nothing lost yet as countries confirm their respective participation officially throughout September and October leading up to the release of the Official List of Competing Countries by the EBU ( late October).

This news has sparked a lot of buzz amid the Eurovision fan fraternity who are now awaiting for an official decision regarding Romania’s Eurovision 2024 participation.

You can read ESCToday’s in depth article on the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest participating countries confirmations here.

Romania in Eurovision

Romania debuted at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1994 and is yet to win the compeitition. The country achieved its best results in our beloved show in 2005 with Luminita Anghel and in 2010 with Paula Seling and Ovi when it placed 3rd in the Grand Final.

Romania has competed 23 times in the competition.

In 2023 Theodor Andrei represented Romania at the Eurovision Song Contest with his entry ‘D.G.T (Off and On)’.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bf3iPXU1RYU

Source: Libertatea.ro

Photo credit: EBU