After three seasons, the music show the Voice of Romania, organized by ProTV, will be canceled, and replaced with a kids talent show, Voice Kids.

This came after a competing TV channel, Antena 1, poached one of the four jury members, singer Horia Brenciu, according to Romanian media. He will appear in the increasingly popular TV show 'Te cunosc de undeva' (in rough translation “you seem familiar'). Brenciu coached the last two winners of the Voice of Romania, Mihai Chitu and Julie Mayaya.

Local media suggest the reason behind the decision to cancel the Voice of Romania was the decreasing popularity among viewers, at the same time with the increasing momentum gained by a kids talent show on the competing channel Antena 1.

Romania's ProTV channel, owned by American group CME, has been loosing top management people ever since its founder, and former CME CEO Adrian Sarbu left the helm of the group, and was replaced by Lithuanian Aleksandras Cesnavicius.

Ruxandra Ion, known for producing ProTV's famous soap operas, left the station, and so has her son, Cosmin Ion, head of Media Pro Entertainment. Executive director of ProTV Elena Petre, and marketing and communication manager Maria Apostol also parted ways with ProTV after long careers within the media group.

ProTV is currently broadcasting Romania's Got Talent (Romanii au Talent), another popular show, now at its fourth season.

The Voice of Romania is based on an international format, originally the Voice of Holland. The format created by John de Mol has been used across the world.

Romania's got Talent is too based on an international format, conceived and owned by Simon Cowell's SYCOtv company. A pilot was made in UK, but the first full series of the format was aired in the US as America's Got Talent.

The show 'Te Cunosc de Undeva' aired by Antena 1 is also based on an international format created by Gestmusic Endemol. It involves established Romanian celebrities trying to perform as different music icons every week, as selected by the show's Randomizer. They are judged by a panel of celebrity judges, and prizes are given to charities. The show started in 2012, and is now at its fourth edition.

editor@romania-insider.com