Due to a confluence of financial constraints and a commitment to uphold the prestige of Romania’s representation, the Administrative Council of the Romanian Television Society (SRTV) has reached a decision to forgo participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

According to Virgin Radio Romania, the resolution, passed during today’s meeting on January 25, garnered 5 votes in favor, 4 abstentions, and 4 votes against.

Simultaneously, the Administrative Council greenlit SRTV’s 2024 budget, which unfortunately lacks the necessary financial backing to ensure Romania’s participation aligns with the ever-increasing standards of this global competition.

This year, alongside established productions, TVR is channeling significant resources into other pivotal projects, such as broadcasting the Summer Olympic Games in Paris, streamlining channel automation, investing in the news production system, progressing with investments in the new TVR Craiova headquarters, and initiating long-overdue modernization efforts.

Despite benefiting from an extended entry deadline for the 2024 competition, courtesy of a longstanding collaboration with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the organizers at TVR find themselves compelled to defer Romania’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest to a subsequent edition.

In the Eurovision Song Contest of 2023, Theodor Andrei represented Romania, with the track “D.G.T. (Off and On).” Unfortunately, he did not secure a spot in the grand final, he had landed in the second-to-last position in the semi-final, sharing a tied score of 0 points with San Marino.

Theodor talked to Building Bridges just few weeks before he travelled to Liverpool – listen to the episode below:

(Photo: Chloe Hasmei / EBU)