European Broadcasting Union

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), known in French as L'Union Européenne de Radio-Télévision (UER), and unrelated to the European Union, was formed February 12, 1950 by 23 broadcasting organizations from Europe and the Mediterranean at a conference in the coastal resort of Torquay in Devon, England. In 1993, the International Radio and Television Organisation (OIRT), an equivalent organisation of broadcasters from Central and Eastern Europe, was merged with the EBU.

As of 2004, the EBU has active full members from 52 countries, and associate members from a further 29. Members are radio and television companies, most of which are government-owned public service broadcasters or privately owned stations with public missions. Full active Members are based in countries from Algeria to the Vatican State, including almost all European countries. Associate members are not limited to those from European countries and the Mediterranean but include broadcasters from Canada, Japan, Mexico, Brazil, India and Hong Kong, as well as many others. Associate Members from the United States include ABC, CBS, NBC, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and Time Warner.

The EBU's most well-known production is probably the Eurovision Song Contest organised by its Eurovision Network. The ability of any country from which there are full members of the EBU to enter this contest leads both to the ever growing number of entries, and the counter-intuitive inclusion of countries, such as Israel, which are clearly not generally considered part of Europe. The Eurovision Network also organises the Eurovision Young Dancers competition, which is modelled along similar lines. The countries in the EBU have also often worked together to create documentaries and (animated) children's programming. The first such co-production was the animated series The Animals of Farthing Wood from the year 1993 based on the books of the same title by Colin Dann.

One other well-known production is Wetten, dass..?, a entertainment show made by ZDF, ORF and SF-DRS. Participating countries: Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Tyrol parts of Italy who are German-speaking. "Wetten, dass..?" is Europe's most popular family entertainment for nearly 30 years, hosted by Thomas Gottschalk. The show was aired from Aspendos (amphitheater), Paris (EuroDisney), Majorca and Xanten (Germany) and several other German, Austrian and Swiss cities. Former host, Frank Elstner, had a chance to broadcast John Paul II by video connection and not live, but Elstner refused. There are other versions world-wide from China, Russia, Turkey.

The theme music played before EBU broadcasts is Marc-Antoine Charpentier's Prelude to Te Deum.

Contents

1 Full EBU members

1.1 European members
1.2 Non-European members

2 Future & Potential EBU Members

3 External links

Full EBU members

European members

Albania: RTVSH (Radiotelevizioni Shqiptar).
Andorra: RTVA (Radio i Television d'Andorra, S.A.).
Austria: ORF (Österreichischer Rundfunk).
Belarus: BTRC (Belaruskaja Tele-Radio Campanija).
Belgium: VRT (Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroep), RTBF (Radio-Télévision Belge de la Communaute francaise).
Bosnia and Herzegovina: RTVBH (Radio Televizija Bosne i Hercegovine).
Bulgaria: BNR (Bâlgarsko Nationalno Radio), BNT (Bâlgarska Nationalna Televizija).
Croatia: HRT (Hrvatska Radiotelevizija).
Cyprus: CYBC (Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation).
Czech Republic: CR (Cesky Rozhlas), CT (Ceská Televize).
Denmark: DR (Danmarks Radio), DK/TV2 (TV2/Danmark).
Estonia: ER (Eesti Raadio), EE/ETV (Eesti Televisioon)
Finland: FI/MTV (MTV Oy), YLE (Oy Yleisradio Ab).
France: GRF (Groupement des radiodiffuseurs francais), E1 (Europe 1).
Germany: ARD (Arbeitsgemeinschaft der öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunkanstalten der Bundesrepublik Deutschland), ZDF (Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen).
Greece: ERT (Elliniki Radiophonia - Tileorassi SA).
Hungary: MR (Magyar Rádió), HU/MTV (Magyar Televizió).
Iceland: RUV (Ríkisútvarpið).
Ireland: RTÉ (Radio Telefís Éireann).
Italy: RAI (RAI - Radiotelevisione Italiana).
Latvia: LR (Latvijas Radio), LT (Latvijas Valsts Televizija).
Lithuania: LRT (Lietuvos Radijas ir Televizija).
Luxembourg: CLT (CLT Multi Media), ERSL (Etablissement de Radiodiffusion Socioculturelle du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg).
Macedonia: MKRTV (MKRTV).
Malta: PBS (Public Broadcasting Services).
Moldova: TRM (Teleradio-Moldova).
Monaco: GRMC (Groupement de Radiodiffusion monégasque).
Netherlands: NPB (Netherlands Public Broadcasting).
Norway: NRK (Norsk Rikskringkasting AS), NO/TV2 (TV 2 AS).
Poland: PRT (Polskie Radio i Telewizja).
Portugal: RDP (Radiodifusão Portuguesa SA), RTP (Radiotelevisão Portuguesa Serviço Público de Televisão SA).
Romania: ROR (Societatea Româna de Radiodifuziune), RO/TVR (Societatea Româna de Televiziune).
Russia: C1R (Channel One Russia), RDO (Radio Dom Ostankino), RTR (RossijskoeTeleradio).
San Marino: SMRTV (San Marino RTV).
Serbia and Montenegro: RTS 1 (Radio Televizija Srbije), TVCG 3 (Radio Televizija Crne Gore 3 Kanal)
Slovakia: SK/SR (Slovensky Rozhlas), SK/STV (Slovenská Televizia).
Slovenia: RTVSLO (Radiotelevizija Slovenija).
Spain: RTVE (Radiotelevisión Española), SER (Sociedad Española de Radiodifusión), COPE (Radio Popular SA Cope).
Sweden: STR (Sveriges Television och Radio Grupp:Sveriges Television and Sveriges Radio),TV4 (The TV4 group)
Switzerland: SRG SSR idée suisse (SRG SSR idée suisse - Sociéte Suisse de Radiodiffusion et Télévision).
Turkey: TRT (Türkiye Radyo-Televizyon Kurumu).
Ukraine: NTU/NRU (Natsionalna Telekompanija Ukraïny/Natsionalna Radiokompanya Ukraïny).
United Kingdom: BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation), UKIB (United Kingdom Independent Broadcasting).
Vatican City: RV (Radio Vatican).

Non-European members

Algeria: ENTV (Entreprise nationale de Télévision), ENRS (Entreprise nationale de Radiodiffusion sonore) and TDA (Télédiffusion d'Algérie).
Egypt: ERTU (Egyptian Radio and Television Union).
Israel: IBA (Israel Broadcasting Authority).
Jordan: JRTV (Jordan Radio and Television Corporation).
Lebanon: RL/TL (Télé-Liban).
Libya: LJB (Libya Jamahiriya Broadcasting).
Morocco: MA/RTM (Radiodiffusion-Télévision Marocaine).
Tunisia: ERTT (Etablissement de la Radiodiffusion-Télévision Tunisienne).

Future & Potential EBU Members

Armenia: AMPTV (Public Television & Radio Company of Armenia) - when the rules of "European broadcasting area" change in October 2005, the region will be expanded to include Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, and so admitting AMPTV (Armenia) as a full active member
Georgia: GTVR (Georgian TV & Radio Broadcasting), TEME and RB - when the rules of "European broadcasting area" change in October 2005, the region will be expanded to include Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, and so admitting GTVR, TEME & RB (Georgia) as full active members
Azerbaijan: currently no Azeri television or radio station complies with EBU membership rules, but after October 2005 it will be possible for Azeri broadcasters to become full EBU members
Liechtenstein: currently Liechtenstein has no national television station, but when they get one it will be possible for them to join the EBU
Syria: ORTAS (Organisme de la Radio-Télévision Arabe Syrienne) - currently an associate member only
Kosovo: RTK - currently an associate member, if and when Kosovo achieves full independence it will be admitted to the EBU
Serbia: RTS (Radio Televizija Srbije) - currently an active member for Serbia & Montenegro, if and when Serbia becomes an independent country it will be admitted to the EBU
Montenegro: RTCG (Radio Televizija Crna Gora) - currently an active member for Serbia & Montenegro, if and when Montenegro becomes an independent country it will be admitted to the EBU