European Broadcasting Union

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU; French: Union européenne de radio-télévision, UER) is a group of public service media organizations from countries in the European Broadcasting Area or who are members of the Council of Europe. As of 2024, it includes 123 member organizations from 56 countries, plus 31 associate members from 20 more countries. It was created in 1950 and its main office is in Geneva.

The EBU owns and runs important telecommunications networks called Eurovision and Euroradio. These networks help send live TV and radio shows to its members. It also has a daily news exchange where members share breaking news videos. In 2017, the EBU started the Eurovision Social Newswire, a service that checks and shares news videos from social media.

The EBU works with its members to make programs and host events. One of its most famous events is the Eurovision Song Contest. It also organizes Eurovision Debates for candidates running to become president of the European Commission during European Parliament elections. Since 2017, Noel Curran has been the director-general of the EBU.

General description

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) is a group of public media companies from many countries in Europe and nearby areas. These media companies are set up by law but work independently to serve everyone in society.

Members of the EBU come from places as far north as Iceland and as far south as Algeria, from Portugal in the west to Azerbaijan in the east. Some associate members are from the United States, like ABC, CBS, NBC, CPB, NPR, APM, and WFMT in Chicago.

The main goal of the EBU is to support broadcasting. This includes promoting the values of public media, protecting freedom of expression, supporting media freedom, using technology to share information, encouraging cultural diversity, protecting Europe’s cultural heritage, and creating programs that meet the public’s needs for information, education, culture, and entertainment.

Members of the EBU benefit from access to special content, representation in important meetings, chances to learn and work together, and help with new technologies. One of the EBU’s most famous events is the Eurovision Song Contest. The EBU also organizes the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, the Eurovision Young Musicians competition, and other events. It also supports radio programs like Euroclassic Notturno and broadcasts special events such as the Vienna New Year's Concert.

History

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) started as a new group for broadcasters after older groups had problems. It began in 1950 with 23 members meeting in Torquay, United Kingdom. The EBU focused on helping broadcasters work together and share programs.

In 1954, the Eurovision television system began, allowing live broadcasts across Europe. The first big event was a flower festival in Switzerland. The Eurovision Song Contest started in 1956, and the EBU also covered major events like the Olympic Games and royal weddings. Over time, the EBU helped broadcasters share news and other programs, growing from a few members to many across Europe. It continues to support public broadcasting and combat online falsehoods today.

Technical activities

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) helps its members during times of big changes in technology. It shares important technical information through meetings, workshops, and publications like the EBU Technical Review.

The EBU encourages its members to work together and share their knowledge. This teamwork often happens in special groups that focus on specific technical topics. The EBU also supports the use of open standards, like MPEG-2, DAB, and DVB, so that different products can work together and Programme material can be shared easily.

EBU members and the EBU Technical Department have helped create many systems used in radio and television broadcasting, such as:

• The AES/EBU digital audio interface, known as AES3;
• Interfaces for digital video (ITU-R Recommendations 601 and 656);
• RDS – the radio data system used on FM broadcasting;
• The EBU Loudness Recommendation R 128 and 'EBU Mode' meters (EBU Tech 3341)

The EBU has also supported the development of:

• Digital radio (DAB) through Eureka Project 147 and the WorldDAB Forum;
• DVB (Digital Video Broadcasting) through the DVB Project and DigiTAG;
• Digital radio in the bands used for AM broadcasting through Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM);
• Standardisation of PVR systems through the TV-Anytime Forum;
• Other content distribution networks on the internet through P2PTV. The EBU worked on this from November 2007 to April 2008 with some member channels, using Octoshape's distribution platform. The EBU is also part of the European P2P-Next project.

Management

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has a General Assembly as its top body. This group includes representatives from its member organizations and has the power to make important decisions. It meets twice a year—one meeting in the summer and one in the winter.

Between these big meetings, an Executive Committee takes care of the union’s day-to-day tasks. This group is elected by the General Assembly and has 11 members. It helps guide the EBU and makes decisions on many issues. The EBU’s President and Director General are its top leaders. The President manages overall activities and leads big meetings, while the Director General handles daily operations. The EBU’s main office is in Geneva, with additional offices in several cities around the world.

Controversies

In 2013, the Greek government closed its public broadcaster because of money problems. The European Broadcasting Union quickly helped set up a new studio to keep news services running. Later, the broadcaster reopened under the same name.

In 2021, a broadcaster from Belarus was suspended from the European Broadcasting Union after reports of unfair treatment of its workers. Also, three broadcasters from Russia were suspended in 2022 because of actions related to the conflict in Ukraine. These suspensions remain in place.

There have also been discussions about Israel's participation in the Eurovision Song Contest during times of conflict. Some people have asked the European Broadcasting Union to think carefully about this.

Further information: Controversies of the Eurovision Song Contest § Israeli participation

More contextual information can be found on dedicated pages to Israel's participation in 2024 and (/wiki/Israel_in_the_Eurovision_Song_Contest_2025).

Members

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has two main ways for organizations to join: membership and partnership (associate).

Members are broadcasting organizations that meet certain rules, like providing public broadcasting services and producing a variety of programs for everyone. They must also be able to receive most TV and radio programs clearly. To join, an organization needs to be voted in by other members.

Starting in December 2024, there is a new type of membership called "international member." This is for organizations that work across many European countries and create programs like documentaries, movies, and news.

As of June 2024, the EBU has 75 members from 56 countries.

Sometimes, a member’s status can be paused if they are going through big changes or not following the rules. During this pause, they cannot vote or take part in some events, like the Eurovision Song Contest.

Organizations outside the main European area can apply to be associate members. These groups can still use some of the EBU’s services but do not get to join in Eurovision events, except for a few special cases.

Organised events

The EBU works with broadcasters to organize many fun competitions and events for its members. These events let countries join in and show off their talents.

Eurovision Song Contest

Main article: Eurovision Song Contest

The Eurovision Song Contest is a yearly music contest where countries sing songs and vote for their favorites. It started in Lugano, Switzerland, in 1956 with seven countries. Each country sent two songs, but now they only send one. The first winner was Switzerland, and the most recent winner, from a contest in Vienna, Austria, was Bulgaria.

Let the Peoples Sing

Main article: Let the Peoples Sing

Let the Peoples Sing is a choir contest held every two years. Winners are chosen from recordings sent by radio stations. The winner gets a special award called the Silver Rose Bowl. The first winner was a choir from Scotland in 1961, and the most recent winner in 2024 was a choir from Denmark.

Jeux sans frontières

Main article: Jeux sans frontières

Jeux sans frontières was a fun TV game show for European countries. It ran from 1965 to 1999 and at its peak had 110 million viewers. The show was later revived with different countries and smaller broadcasters.

Eurovision Young Musicians

Main article: Eurovision Young Musicians

Eurovision Young Musicians is a contest for young musicians aged 12 to 21. It started in Manchester, United Kingdom, in 1982 and happens every two years. The most recent winner was from Austria.

Eurovision Young Dancers

Main article: Eurovision Young Dancers

Eurovision Young Dancers was a dance contest for young dancers aged 16 to 21. It began in Reggio Emilia, Italy, in 1985 and happened every two years. The most recent winner was from Poland.

Euroclassic Notturno

Main article: Euroclassic Notturno

Euroclassic Notturno is a special night-time music program made from classical music recordings sent in by EBU members. It is played on radio stations during late-night classical music shows.

Junior Eurovision Song Contest

Main article: Junior Eurovision Song Contest

The Junior Eurovision Song Contest is a song contest for younger singers, starting in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 2003. The first winner was Croatia, and the most recent winner from a contest in Tbilisi, Georgia, was France.

Eurovision Dance Contest

Main article: Eurovision Dance Contest

The Eurovision Dance Contest was a dance competition first held in London, United Kingdom, in 2007. Finland won the first contest, and Poland won the most recent one. It has not been held since 2008.

Magic Circus Show

Main article: Magic Circus Show

The Magic Circus Show was a fun circus event for children aged 7 to 14 from eight countries. It happened in Geneva, Switzerland, from 2010 to 2012.

Eurovision Choir

Main article: Eurovision Choir

The Eurovision Choir is a contest for non-professional choirs. It started in Riga, Latvia, in 2017. The first winner was from Slovenia, and the most recent winner was from Denmark.

European Sports Championships

Main article: European Championships (multi-sport event)

The European Sports Championships is a big sports event with many different sports. The first one happened in 2018 in Berlin, Germany, and Glasgow, United Kingdom.

Olympic Games

The EBU began showing the Olympic Games in 1956 and helped its members get the rights to broadcast them. Over time, the amount of money paid grew a lot, from US$22 million for Los Angeles 1984 to US$746 million for Vancouver 2010 and London 2012.

In 2008, the International Olympic Committee decided to sell the rights to individual broadcasters instead of the EBU. Later, in 2015, they gave the rights to Discovery Communications, which made the EBU unhappy. But in January 2023, the IOC chose a joint bid from the EBU and Warner Bros. Discovery for the Olympic Games from 2026 to 2032. Each EBU member will show at least 200 hours of the Summer Olympics and 100 hours of the Winter Olympics.