Romania Expelled Three Weeks Before Stockholm Over EBU Debt

MAY 15 2016 · 12:30

Ovidiu Anton (disqualified) · "Moment of Silence" · Romania · 2016 Language: English · Venue: Ericsson Globe · Host: Stockholm, Sweden · Type: disqualification · Broadcast: streaming era 22 April 2016. Three weeks before Stockholm's grand final, the EBU expels Romania from Eurovision 2016 over TVR's unpaid €14.5 million in broadcaster fees. Ovidiu Anton — already selected, already rehearsed, already booked flights — is disqualified. 'Moment of Silence' never gets performed on the Eurovision stage. Romania protests but the EBU is firm. Context TVR had been accumulating EBU debt since the 2007 financial crisis. Previous warnings had gone unanswered. The Romanian government briefly considered a government bailout but chose not to intervene. Anton was a rising Romanian rock-ballad singer. His team filed formal complaints that were denied. Legacy Romania returned in 2017 after settling its EBU debt. Anton was reselected and finished 7th in 2017 semifinal with a different song. The 2016 disqualification set the EBU precedent that broadcaster financial standing is as enforceable as artistic rules. Ovidiu Anton's 'Moment of Silence' now circulates on YouTube as a cult 'should have been' entry.