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

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Full EBU Members

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European Members

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Non-European Members

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Former Members





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