Romania has been expelled from this year's Eurovision Song Contest after its national broadcaster failed to pay outstanding debts.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organizes the contest, said on April 22 that the Romanian public service broadcaster TVR owes $16.3 million.
The EBU said it had called on the Romanian government to make satisfactory arrangements to repay the debt by April 20.
"The continued indebtedness of TVR jeopardizes the financial stability of the EBU itself," the organization said.
Ovidiu Anton was to represent Romania at this year's contest in Stockholm on May 12, but the entry will now be forced out of the competition watched by an audience of 197 million in 2015.
Romania first took part in the annual music competition in 1994, but has never won the contest.