# European Broadcasting Union

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU; French: Union européenne de radio-télévision, UER) is an alliance of public service media organisations whose countries are within the European Broadcasting Area or who are members of the Council of Europe. As of 2024, it is made up of 123 member organisations from 56 countries, and 31 associate members from a further 20 countries. It was established in 1950, and has its administrative headquarters in Geneva.
The EBU owns and operates the Eurovision and Euroradio telecommunications networks on which major television and radio broadcasts are distributed live to its members. It also operates the daily Eurovision news exchange in which members share breaking news footage. In 2017, the EBU launched the Eurovision Social Newswire, an eyewitness and video verification service. Led by Head of Social Newsgathering, Derek Bowler, the service provides members of the EBU with verified and cleared-for-use newsworthy eyewitness media emerging on social media.
The EBU, in co-operation with its members, produces programmes and organises events in which its members can participate, such as the Eurovision Song Contest, its best known production, or the Eurovision Debates between candidates for president of the European Commission for the 2014, 2019 and 2024 parliamentary elections. The Director-General is Noel Curran since 2017.

## General description

EBU members are public service media (PSM) broadcasters established by law but are non-partisan, independent and run for the benefit of society as a whole.
EBU members come from as far north as Iceland and as far south as Egypt, from Ireland in the west and Azerbaijan in the east, and almost every nation from geographical Europe in between. Associate members from the United States include ABC, CBS, NBC, CPB, NPR, APM and the only individual station, Chicago-based classical music radio WFMT.
Membership is for media organisations whose countries are within the European Broadcasting Area, as defined by the International Telecommunication Union, or who are members of the Council of Europe.
Members benefit from:
* Access to content ranging from exclusive sports rights to exchanges for news, music and children's programmes.
* Representatives in Brussels, and in other international arenas, lobbying for PSM and ensuring the optimal legal and technical framework for broadcasters.
* Opportunities for sharing, learning and collaborating through conferences, working groups, training, and dedicated advice and guidance.
* A centre for learning and sharing new technology and innovation with a team of experts providing strategic advice and guidance.
The EBU's highest-profile production is the Eurovision Song Contest. The EBU also organises the Eurovision Dance Contest, the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, the Eurovision Young Dancers competition, and other competitions which are modeled along similar lines.
Radio collaborations include Euroclassic Notturno—an overnight classical music stream, produced by BBC Radio 3 and broadcast in the United Kingdom as Through the Night—and special theme days, such as the annual Christmas music relays from around Europe. The EBU is a member of the International Music Council.
Most EBU broadcasters have group deals to carry major sporting events including the FIFA World Cup and the inaugural European Championships. Another annually recurring event which is broadcast across Europe through the EBU is the Vienna New Year's Concert.
Eurovision Media Services is the business arm of the EBU and provides media services for many media organisations and sports federations around the world.

### Ident

The theme music played before and after every EBU broadcast is Marc-Antoine Charpentier's Prelude to Te Deum. It is played before and after the Eurovision Song Contest and other important events.

## History

The EBU was a successor to the International Broadcasting Union (IBU) that was founded in 1925 and had its administrative headquarters in Geneva and technical office in Brussels. It fostered programming exchanges between members and mediated technical disputes between members that were mostly concerned with frequency and interference issues. It was in effect taken over by Nazi Germany during the Second World War, and thereafter the Allies viewed it as a compromised organisation that they could not trust.
In the spring of 1946, representatives of the Soviet radio committee proposed forming a new organisation; however, at the same time preparations were being made for an inter-governmental "European Broadcasting Conference" in Copenhagen in 1948 to draw up a new plan for frequency use in the European Broadcasting Area. It was considered necessary to have an organisation that could implement the "Copenhagen Wavelength Plan" but there was disagreement among broadcasters and particularly a fear expressed by the BBC that a new association might be dominated by the USSR and its proposal to give each of its constituent states one vote. France proposed that it would have four votes with the inclusion of its North African colonies. The United Kingdom felt it would have little influence with just one vote.
On 27 June 1946, the alternative International Broadcasting Organisation (IBO) was founded with 26 members and without British participation. The following day the IBU met in General Assembly and an attempt was made to dissolve it but failed; though 18 of its 28 members left to join the IBO. For a period of time in the late 1940s both the IBU and IBO vied for the role of organising frequencies but Britain decided to be in involved in neither. The BBC attempted but failed to find suitable working arrangements with them. However, for practical purposes, the IBO rented the IBU technical centre in Brussels and employed its staff. The BBC then proposed a new solution based on the IBO changing its constitution so there will be only one member per International Telecommunication Union (ITU) country, thus ensuring a Western majority over the USSR and its satellite states. In August 1949 a meeting took place in Stresa, Italy but it resulted in disagreement between delegates on how to resolve the problems. One proposal was for the European Broadcasting Area to be replaced by one that would exclude Eastern Europe, the Levant and North Africa.
After Stresa, a consensus emerged among the Western Europeans to form a new organisation and the BBC proposed it be based in London. Meetings in Paris on 31 October and 1 November 1949 sealed the fate of the IBU and IBO, but it was decided not to allow West Germany to be a founder of the new organisation. On 13 February 1950 the European Broadcasting Union had its first meeting with 23 members from the ITU defined European Broadcasting Area at the Imperial Hotel in Torquay, England, United Kingdom. The first president was Ian Jacob of the BBC who remained at the helm for 10 years while its operation was largely dominated by the BBC due to its financial, technical and staff input. The most important difference between the EBU and its predecessors was that EBU membership was for broadcasters and not governments. Early delegates said EBU meetings were cordial and professional and very different from the abrupt tone of its predecessors. West Germany was admitted in 1951 and a working relationship forged with the USSR's Organisation for International Radio and TV (OIRT) which existed in parallel with the EBU until its merger on 1 January 1993.
In 1967, the first concert in the International Concert Season of the European Broadcasting Union was broadcast from the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London.

## Technical activities

The objective of the EBU's technical activities is simply to assist EBU Members (see below) in this period of unprecedented technological changes. This includes the provision of technical information to Members via conferences and workshops, as well as in written form (such as the EBU Technical Review, and the EBU tech-i magazine).
The EBU also encourages active collaboration between its Members on the basis that they can freely share their knowledge and experience, thus achieving considerably more than individual Members could achieve by themselves. Much of this collaboration is achieved through Project Groups which study specific technical issues of common interest: for example, EBU Members have long been preparing for the revision of the 1961 Stockholm Plan.
The EBU places great emphasis on the use of open standards. Widespread use of open standards (such as MPEG-2, DAB, DVB, etc.) ensures interoperability between products from different vendors, as well as facilitating the exchange of programme material between EBU Members and promoting "horizontal markets" for the benefit of all consumers.
EBU Members and the EBU Technical Department have long played an important role in the development of many systems used in radio and television broadcasting, such as:
* The AES/EBU digital audio interface, formally known as AES3;
* Serial and parallel 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 actively encouraged the development and implementation 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 currently used for AM broadcasting through Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM).
* Standardisation of PVR systems through the TV-Anytime Forum.
* Development of other content distribution networks on the internet through P2PTV; EBU Project Group D/P2P, from November 2007 to April 2008, with a trial of selected member channels, thanks to Octoshape's distribution platform. The EBU is also part of the European P2P-Next project.

## Controversies
### Greek state broadcaster (2013)

On 11 June 2013, the Greek government shut down the state broadcaster Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (ERT) on short notice, citing government spending concerns related to the European debt crisis. In response, the EBU set up a makeshift studio the same day near the former ERT offices in Athens in order to continue providing EBU members with the news-gathering and broadcast relay services which had formerly been provided by ERT. The EBU put out a statement expressing its "profound dismay" at the shutdown, urging the Greek Prime Minister "to use all his powers to immediately reverse this decision" and offered the "advice, assistance and expertise necessary for ERT to be preserved". Starting on 4 May 2014, the new state broadcaster New Hellenic Radio, Internet and Television (NERIT) began nationwide transmissions, taking over ERT's vacant active membership slot in the EBU. On 11 June 2015, two years after ERT's closure, NERIT was renamed as Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (ERT), which reopened with a comprehensive program in all radio stations (with nineteen regional, two world-range and five pan-Hellenic range radio stations) and three TV channels ERT1, ERT2 and ERT3.

### Belarusian state broadcaster (2021)

The Belarusian Television and Radio Company (BTRC) has been accused of repressing its own employees, having fired more than 100 people since a wave of anti-Lukashenko protests in 2020 following alleged election fraud. Many of them have also been jailed. Many voices have been raised against the participation of Belarus and the BTRC in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2021, the argument being that the EBU would make a political statement if it did endorse Belarus by essentially and silently saying that democracy is unimportant and so are basic human rights such as freedom of speech.
On 28 May 2021, the EBU suspended the BTRC's membership as they had been "particularly alarmed by the broadcast of interviews apparently obtained under duress". BTRC was given two weeks to respond before the suspension came into effect, but did not do so publicly. The suspension of the broadcaster was made effective on 1 July 2021. Although initial reports mentioned that it would expire after three years, in April 2024 the EBU confirmed that the suspension had been made indefinite.

### Russian state broadcasters (2022)

The three Russian members of the EBU, Channel One Russia, VGTRK, and Radio Dom Ostankino are all controlled by the Russian government. On 21 February 2022, the Russian government recognized the independence of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, disputed territories that are internationally recognized as part of Ukraine. Ukraine's public broadcaster Suspilne called on the EBU to terminate the membership of Channel One Russia and VGTRK, and to consider preventing Russia from participating in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022, citing the Russian government's use of both outlets to spread disinformation surrounding the Russo-Ukrainian war. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, several other public broadcasters joined UA:PBC in calling for Russia's exclusion from the 2022 Contest; Finland's Yle and Estonia's ERR stated that they would not send a representative if Russia was allowed to participate. After initially stating that both Russia and Ukraine would be allowed to compete, the EBU announced on 25 February 2022 that it would ban Russia from participating in the Contest.
The three Russian broadcasters announced, via a statement released by Russian state media, that they would withdraw from the EBU on 26 February, citing increased politicization of the organization. The EBU released a statement saying that it was aware of the reports, but that it had not received any formal confirmation. On 1 March, a further statement from the EBU announced that it had suspended its Russian members from its governance structures. On 26 May, the EBU made effective the suspension of its Russian members indefinitely.
In 2023, an extensive investigation by the EBU Investigative Journalism Network uncovered evidence of a Kremlin-sponsored initiative to take Ukrainian children from the war-torn country to Russia, a war crime under international law.

## Members

As of June 2024, the list of EBU members comprises the following 77 broadcasting companies from 56 countries.

### Current members

| Country | Broadcasting organisation | Abbr. | Year |
| Albania | Albanian Radio-Television (Radio Televizioni Shqiptar) | RTSH | 1999 |
| Algeria | Public Establishment of Television (المؤسّسة العمومية للتلفزيون, Établissement public de télévision) | EPTV | 1970 |
| Algeria | National Sound Broadcasting Company (المؤسسة العمومية للبث الإذاعي, Entreprise nationale de radiodiffusion sonore) | ENRS | 1970 |
| Algeria | Algerian Broadcasting Company (البث الإذاعي والتلفزي الجزائري, Télédiffusion d'Algérie) | TDA | 1970 |
| Andorra | Radio and Television of Andorra (Ràdio i Televisió d'Andorra) | RTVA | 2002 |
| Armenia | Public Television Company of Armenia (Հայաստանի Հանրային Հեռուստաընկերություն, Hayastani Hanrayin Herrustaynkerut'yun) | ARMTV ՀՀՀ | 2005 |
| Armenia | Public Radio of Armenia (Հայաստանի Հանրային Ռադիո, Hayastani Hanrayin Radio) | ARMR | 2005 |
| Austria | Österreichischer Rundfunk | ORF | 1953 |
| Azerbaijan | İctimai Televiziya və Radio Yayımları Şirkəti: İctimai Televiziya (İctimai Television, İTV) İctimai Radio (İR) | İCTI/İTV | 2007 |
| Belgium | Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie | VRT | 1950 |
| Belgium | Radio-Télévision Belge de la Communauté Française | RTBF | 1950 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Radio and Television of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosanskohercegovačka radiotelevizija) | BHRT | 1993 |
| Bulgaria | Bulgarian National Radio (Българско национално радио, Bǎlgarsko nacionalno radio) | BNR БНР | 1993 |
| Bulgaria | Bulgarian National Television (Българска национална телевизия, Balgarska natsionalna televizia) | BNT БНТ | 1993 |
| Croatia | Croatian Radiotelevision (Hrvatska radiotelevizija) | HRT | 1993 |
| Cyprus | Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (Ραδιοφωνικό Ίδρυμα Κύπρου, Radiofonikó Ídryma Kýprou, Kıbrıs Radyo Yayın Kurumu) | CyBC ΡΊΚ RKYK | 1969 |
| Czech Republic | Český rozhlas | ČRo | 1993 |
| Czech Republic | Česká televize | ČT | 1993 |
| Denmark | Danmarks Radio | DR | 1950 |
| Denmark | TV2 Danmark | DK/TV2 | 1989 |
| Egypt | National Media Authority (الهيئة الوطنية للإعلام) | NTU | 1985 |
| Estonia | Eesti Rahvusringhääling: Eesti Raadio (ER) Eesti Televisioon (ETV) | ERR | 1993 |
| Finland | Yleisradio (Rundradion) | Yle | 1950 |
| France | Groupe de Radiodiffusion Française: France Télévisions (FTV) Radio France (RF) France Médias Monde (FMM) | GRF | 1950 |
| France | Arte | ARTE | 2024 |
| Georgia | Georgian Public Broadcaster (საქართველოს საზოგადოებრივი მაუწყებელი, sakartvelos sazogadoebrivi mauts'q'ebeli) | GPB სსმ | 2005 |
| Germany | Arbeitsgemeinschaft der öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunkanstalten der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (The Working Group of Public Broadcasters in the Federal Republic of Germany, ARD): Bayerischer Rundfunk (Bavarian Broadcasting: BR) Hessischer Rundfunk (Hessian Broadcasting: HR) Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (Central German Broadcasting: MDR) Norddeutscher Rundfunk (Northern German Broadcasting: NDR) Radio Bremen (RB) Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (Berlin-Brandenburg Broadcasting: RBB) Saarländischer Rundfunk (Saarland Broadcasting: SR) Südwestrundfunk (Southwest Broadcasting: SWR) Westdeutscher Rundfunk (West German Broadcasting: WDR) Deutsche Welle (German Wave: DW) Deutschlandradio (Radio Germany: DLR) | ARD | 1952 |
| Germany | Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (Second German Television) | ZDF | 1963 |
| Greece | Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (Ελληνική Ραδιοφωνία Τηλεόραση, Ellinikí Radiofonía Tileórasi) | ERT | 1950–2013, 2015 |
| Hungary | Médiaszolgáltatás-támogató és Vagyonkezelő Alap (Media Support and Asset Management Fund): Duna Médiaszolgáltató (Duna Media Service Provider) | MTVA | 2014 |
| Iceland | Ríkisútvarpið | RÚV | 1956 |
| Ireland | Raidió Teilifís Éireann | RTÉ | 1950 |
| Ireland | TG4 | TG4 | 2007 |
| Israel | Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (תַּאֲגִיד הַשִׁיְדּוּר הַיִשְׂרָאֵלִי, Taʾăḡid HaŠidûr HaYiśrāʾēli) (هَيْئَة اَلْبَثّ اَلْإِسْرَائِيلي, Hayʾat al-Baṯṯ al-Isrāʾīlī) | KAN | 2017 |
| Italy | RAI – Radiotelevisione Italiana | RAI | 1950 |
| Jordan | Jordan Radio and Television Corporation (مؤسسة الإذاعة والتلفزيون الأردني) | JRTV | 1970 |
| Latvia | Public Broadcasting of Latvia (Latvijas Sabiedriskie mediji): Latvijas Televīzija (LTV) Latvijas Radio (LR) | LSM | 1993 |
| Lebanon | Télé Liban (تلفزيون لبنان) | TL | 1950 |
| Libya | Libya National Channel (قناة ليبيا الوطنية) | LNC | 2011 |
| Lithuania | Lithuanian National Radio and Television (Lietuvos nacionalinis radijas ir televizija) | LRT | 1993 |
| Luxembourg | RTL Group | RTL | 1950 |
| Luxembourg | Établissement de Radiodiffusion Socioculturelle du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg | ERSL | 1996 |
| Malta | Public Broadcasting Services | PBS | 1970 |
| Moldova | Compania Națională "Teleradio-Moldova" | TRM | 1993 |
| Monaco | Monaco Media Diffusion | MMD | 1994 |
| Monaco | TVMonaco | TVM | 2024 |
| Montenegro | Radio i televizija Crne Gore (Радио и телевизија Црне Горе) | RTCG РТЦГ | 2006 |
| Morocco | Société Nationale de Radiodiffusion et de Télévision (الشَرِكَة الوَطَنِيَّة لِلْإِذَاعَة وَالتَلْفَزَة, ⵜⴰⵎⵙⵙⵓⵔⵜ ⵜⴰⵏⴰⵎⵓⵔⵜ ⵏ ⵓⵏⵣⵡⴰⵢ ⴷ ⵜⵉⵍⵉⴼⵉⵣⵢⵓⵏ) | SNRT | 1950 |
| Netherlands | Nederlandse Publieke Omroep (Dutch Public Broadcaster): AVROTROS BNNVARA Evangelische Omroep (Evangelical Broadcasting: EO) Humanistische Omroep (Humanist Broadcasting: HUMAN) KRO-NCRV MAX Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (Dutch Broadcasting Foundation: NOS) NTR Ongehoord Nederland (Unheard Netherlands: ON) PowNed Stichting Ether Reclame (Foundation for Ether Advertisement: STER) VPRO WNL Omroep Zwart (Broadcaster Black) | NPO | 1950 |
| North Macedonia | Macedonian Radio Television (Македонска Радио Телевизиjа, Makedonska radio televizija) | MRT МРТ | 1993 |
| Norway | Norsk Rikskringkasting | NRK | 1950 |
| Norway | TV 2 Group (TV 2 Gruppen) | NO/TV2 | 1993 |
| Poland | Telewizja Polska | TVP | 1993 |
| Poland | Polskie Radio | PR | 1993 |
| Portugal | Rádio e Televisão de Portugal | RTP | 1950 |
| Romania | Societatea Română de Radiodifuziune | ROR | 1993 |
| Romania | Societatea Română de Televiziune | RO/TVR | 1993 |
| San Marino | San Marino RTV | SMRTV | 1995 |
| Serbia | Radio-televizija Srbije (Радио-телевизија Србије) | RTS | 2006 |
| Slovakia | Slovak Television and Radio (Slovenská televízia a rozhlas) | STVR | 2024 |
| Slovenia | Radiotelevizija Slovenija | RTVSLO | 1993 |
| Spain | Radiotelevisión Española | RTVE | 1955 |
| Sweden | Sveriges Rundradiotjänst: Sveriges Television (SVT) Sveriges Radio (SR) Sveriges Utbildningsradio (UR) | SRT | 1950 |
| Switzerland | Swiss Broadcasting Corporation: Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF) Radio Télévision Suisse (RTS) Radiotelevisione svizzera (RSI) Radiotelevisiun Svizra Rumantscha (RTR) | SRG SSR | 1950 |
| Tunisia | Établissement de la Radio Tunisienne (مؤسسة الإذاعة التونسية) | RTT | 2007 |
| Tunisia | Établissement de la Télévision Tunisienne (مؤسسة التلفزة التونسية) | RTT | 2007 |
| Turkey | Türkiye Radyo ve Televizyon Kurumu | TRT | 1950 |
| Ukraine | National Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine (Національна суспільна телерадіокомпанія України, Natsionalna Suspilna Teleradiokompaniya Ukrayiny) | SU | 1993 |
| United Kingdom | British Broadcasting Corporation | BBC | 1950 |
| United Kingdom | United Kingdom Independent Broadcasting: ITV plc (UKIB/ITV) STV Group (UKIB/STV) Channel Four Television Corporation (UKIB/C4) S4C Authority (UKIB/S4C) | UKIB | 1981 |
| Vatican City | Vatican Radio (Radio Vaticana, Statio Radiophonica Vaticana) | VR | 1950 |

### Suspended members

| Country | Broadcasting organisation | Abbr. | Year | Suspended |
| Belarus | National State TV and Radio Company of the Republic of Belarus | BTRC | 1993 | 2021 |
| Russia | Channel One Russia | C1R | 1995 | 2022 |
| Russia | All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company | VGTRK | 1993 | 2022 |
| Russia | Radio Dom Ostankino: Radio Mayak (MK) Radio Orpheus (OP) | RDO | 1996 | 2022 |

### Past members

| Country | Broadcasting organisation | Abbr. | From | To |
| Czechoslovakia | Czechoslovak Television (Československá televize) | ČST | 1991 | 1992 |
| Finland | MTV3 | FI/MTV | 1993 | 2019 |
| France | Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française | RTF | 1950 | 1964 |
| France | Office de Radiodiffusion Télévision Française | ORTF | 1964 | 1975 |
| France | Télédiffusion de France | TDF | 1975 | 1982 |
| France | TF1 | TF1 | 1975 | 2018 |
| France | Europe 1 | E1 | 1978 | 2022 |
| France | Organisme Français de Radiodiffusion et de Télévision | OFRT | 1983 | 1992 |
| France | Canal+ | C+ | 1984 | 2018 |
| Greece | New Hellenic Radio, Internet and Television (Νέα Ελληνική Ραδιοφωνία, Ίντερνετ και Τηλεόραση, Néa Ellinikí Radiofonía, Ínternet kai Tileórasi) | NERIT | 2014 | 2015 |
| Hungary | Duna TV | Duna | 2013 | 2015 |
| Hungary | Magyar Rádió | MR | 1993 | 2015 |
| Hungary | Magyar Televízió | MTV | 1993 | 2015 |
| Israel | Israel Broadcasting Authority (רָשׁוּת השִּׁדּוּר, Rashút HaShidúr) | IBA | 1957 | 2017 |
| Libya | Libyan Jamahiriya Broadcasting Corporation (الجماهيرية اللّيبيّة) | LJBC | 1974 | 2011 |
| Malta | Maltese Broadcasting Authority | MBA | 1970 | 2003 |
| Monaco | Groupement de Radiodiffuseurs Monégasques: Radio Monte Carlo (RMC) Télé Monte-Carlo (TMC) | GRMC | 1950 | 2021 |
| Monaco | Telemontecarlo (now La7) | TMC | 1981 | 2001 |
| Netherlands | Nederlandse Radio Unie (Dutch Radio Union) | NRU | 1947 | 1967 |
| Netherlands | Nederlandse Televisie Stichting (Dutch Television Foundation) | NTS | 1951 | 1967 |
| Netherlands | TROS | TROS | 1964 | 2014 |
| Russia | Channel One Ostankino [ru] (Первый канал Останкино) | C1O | 1994 | 1995 |
| Serbia and Montenegro | Udruženje javnih radija i televizija (Alliance of Public Radio and Television) | UJRT | 2001 | 2006 |
| Slovakia | Slovenský rozhlas | SRo | 1993 | 2011 |
| Slovakia | Slovenská televízia | STV | 1993 | 2011 |
| Slovakia | Radio and Television of Slovakia (Rozhlas a televízia Slovenska) | RTVS | 2011 | 2024 |
| Spain | Antena 3 Radio | A3R | 1986 | 1993 |
| Spain | Radio Popular SA COPE | COPE | 1998 | 2019 |
| Spain | Sociedad Española de Radiodifusión | SER | 1982 | 2020 |
| Sweden | TV4 | SE/TV4 | 2004 | 2019 |
| Tunisia | Établissement de la radiodiffusion-télévision tunisienne (Tunisian Radio and Television Establishment) | ERTT | 1990 | 2007 |
| United Kingdom | Independent Television Authority | ITA | 1959 | 1972 |
| United Kingdom | Independent Television Companies Association | ITCA | 1959 | 1981 |
| United Kingdom | Independent Broadcasting Authority | IBA | 1972 | 1981 |
| United Kingdom | Commercial Radio Companies Association (now Radiocentre) | CRCA | 1981 | 2006 |
| Yugoslavia | Yugoslav Radio Television (Југослoвенска радиотелевизија, Jugoslavenska radiotelevizija) | JRT | 1950 | 1992 |

### Associate members

Any group or organisation from an International Telecommunication Union (ITU) member country, which provides a radio or television service outside of the European Broadcasting Area, is permitted to submit applications to the EBU for Associate Membership.
It is also noted by the EBU that any country that is granted Associate Member status does not gain access into Eurovision events – notable exceptions being Australia, who have participated in the Eurovision Song Contest since 2015 and the Junior Eurovision Song Contest between 2015 and 2019; Canada, who participated in the Eurovision Young Dancers between 1987 and 1989; and Kazakhstan, who participated in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest between 2018 and 2022 – all of which were individually invited.
The list of Associate Members of EBU comprised the following 32 broadcasting companies from 21 countries as of December 2023.
| Country | Broadcasting organisation | Abbr. | Year |
| Australia | Australian Broadcasting Corporation | ABC | 1950 |
| Australia | FreeTV Australia | Free | 1962 |
| Australia | Special Broadcasting Service | SBS | 1979 |
| Bangladesh | Bangladesh Television | BTV | 1974 |
| Brazil | TV Cultura (Fundação Padre Anchieta) | FPA | 2012 |
| Canada | Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (Société Radio-Canada) | CBC | 1950 |
| Chile | Canal 13 | C13 | 1971 |
| China | China Media Group (中央广播电视总台) | CMG | 2010 |
| China | Shanghai Media Group (上海文化廣播影視集團有限公司) | SMG | 2016 |
| Cuba | Cuban Institute of Radio and Television (Instituto Cubano de Radio y Televisión) | ICRT | 1992 |
| Georgia | Teleimedi | TEME | 2004 |
| Georgia | Rustavi 2 (რუსთავი 2) | RB | 2003 |
| Hong Kong | Radio Television Hong Kong (香港電台) | RTHK | 1983 |
| Iran | Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (صدا و سيمای جمهوری اسلامی ايران) | IRIB | 1968 |
| Japan | Nippon Hōsō Kyōkai (日本放送協会) | NHK | 1951 |
| Japan | TBS Holdings (TBSホールディングス) | TBS | 2000 |
| Kazakhstan | Khabar Agency ("Хабар" Агенттігі, Агентство «Хабар») | KA | 2016 |
| Malaysia | Radio Television of Malaysia (Radio Televisyen Malaysia, راديو تيليۏيشن مليسيا) | RTM | 1970 |
| Mauritius | Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation | MBC | 1980 |
| Nepal | Association of Community Radio Broadcasters Nepal | ACORAB | 2023 |
| New Zealand | Radio New Zealand (Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa) | RNZ | 1950 |
| New Zealand | Television New Zealand (Te Reo Tātaki o Aotearoa) | TVNZ | 1980 |
| Oman | Public Authority for Radio and TV of Oman | PART | 1976 |
| South Korea | Korean Broadcasting System (한국방송공사) | KBS | 1974 |
| Syria | General Organization of Radio and TV (Organisation de la Radio-Télévision Arabe Syrienne, الهيئة العامة للإذاعة والتلفزيون – سورية) | ORTAS | 1978 |
| United States | American Broadcasting Company | ABC | 1959 |
| United States | American Public Media | APM | 2004 |
| United States | Columbia Broadcasting System | CBS | 1956 |
| United States | National Public Radio | NPR | 1971 |
| United States | National Broadcasting Company | NBC | 1953 |
| United States | WFMT Radio Network | WFMT | 1980 |

### Past associate members

The list of past associate members of EBU comprises the following 94 broadcasting companies from 55 countries and 1 autonomous territory.
| Country | Broadcasting organisation | Abbr. | From | To |
| Argentina | Canal 7 | C7 | 1970 | |
| Argentina | El Trece | C13 | 1973 | |
| Australia | Australian Fine Music Network | AFMN | 2008 | 2010 |
| Bahamas | Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas | BCB | 1975 | |
| Barbados | Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation | BB/CBC | 1971 | 2005 |
| Benin | Radiodiffusion du Dahomey | RD | | 1975 |
| Brazil | Associação Brasileira das Emissoras de Rádio e Televisão | ABERT | | |
| Brazil | Diários Associados | DA | | |
| Brazil | Emissoras Unidas de Rádio e Televisão [pt] | EURT | | 1969 |
| Brazil | TV Globo | GLOBO | 1970 | |
| Brazil | Network of Independent Broadcasters (Rede de Emissoras Independentes) | REI | 1974 | 1975 |
| Brazil | Rádio Nacional | RN | 1974 | 1975 |
| Canada | CTV Television Network | CTV | 1969 | |
| Canada | Agency for Tele-Education in Canada | ATEC | 1975 | 1981 |
| Chad | Chadian National Radio (Radiodiffusion Nationale Tchadienne) | RNT | | 1974 |
| Chile | Televisión Nacional de Chile | TVN | 1970 | |
| Colombia | Instituto Nacional de Radio y Televisión | IRV | 1970 | |
| Congo | Radiodiffusion Télévision Congolaise | RTC | 1974 | |
| Costa Rica | Telesistema Nacional S.R.L. | TSN | 1969 | 1971 |
| Ecuador | Teleamazonas | 4TA | 1975 | |
| Gabon | Radiodiffusion-Télévision Gabonaise | RTG | | |
| Gambia | Gambia Radio & Television Service | GRTS | | 2010 |
| Ghana | Ghana Broadcasting Corporation | GBC | | |
| Greenland | Kalaallit Nunaata Radioa (Greenlandic Broadcasting Corporation) | KNR | 1978 | 2011 |
| Guyana | Guyana Broadcasting Service | GBS | 1977 | |
| Haiti | Service des Télécommunications | | | 1969 |
| Honduras | Televisora de Honduras, S.A. | TH | 1969 | 1971 |
| Hong Kong | Asia Television (亞洲電視有限公司) | ATV | | 2010 |
| Hong Kong | Television Broadcasts Limited | TVB | 1973 | 2012/2013 |
| India | All India Radio | AIR | 1979 | 2021 |
| Indonesia | Radio Republik Indonesia | RRI | 1973 | 1981 |
| Indonesia | Televisi Republik Indonesia | TVRI | 1973 | 1981 |
| Iraq | Iraqi Broadcasting and Television Establishment | IBTE | | |
| Ivory Coast | Radiodiffusion Television Ivoirienne | RTI | | |
| Jamaica | Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation | JBC | 1970 | 1981 |
| Japan | Mainichi Broadcasting System (株式会社毎日放送, Kabushiki-gaisha Mainichi Hōsō) | MBS | 1970 | |
| Japan | TV Asahi | ANB | | 2009 |
| Japan | Fuji Television | FTN | 1969 | 2012/2013 |
| Japan | National Association of Commercial Broadcasters in Japan | NACB | | 2012/2013 |
| Japan | Nippon Television Network Corporation (日本テレビ放送網株式会社, Nihon Terebi Hōsōmō kabushiki gaisha) | NTV | | 2009 |
| Japan | Tokyo FM | TFM | 1986 | 2021 |
| Kenya | The Voice of Kenya | VK | | |
| Kuwait | Kuwait Broadcasting and Television Service | KBTS | 1970 | |
| Liberia | Liberian Broadcasting Corporation | LBC | | 1981 |
| Madagascar | Radiodiffusion-Télévision de Madagascar | RTM | 1971 | |
| Malawi | Malawi Broadcasting Corporation | MBC | | |
| Mauritania | Television of Mauritania | MR/TVM | 2003 | 2013 |
| Mexico | Telesistema Mexicano | TSM | | 1973 |
| Mexico | Televisión Independiente de México (Mexican Independent Television) | TIM | 1969 | 1973 |
| Mexico | Tele-Cadena Mexicana | TCM | 1969 | 1973 |
| Mexico | Televisa SA de CV | TVA | 1973 | 2005 |
| Mexico | Corporación Mexicana de Radio y Televisión | CMRT | 1973 | |
| Nepal | Nepal Television (नेपाल टेलिभिजन) | NTVC | | 2010 |
| Niger | Office de radiodiffusion et Télévision du Niger | ORTN | | 1981 |
| Nigeria | Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation | NBC | | |
| Pakistan | Radio Pakistan (ریڈیو پاکستان) | RP | | 1974 |
| Pakistan | Pakistan Television Corporation (پاکستان ٹیلی وژن نیٹ ورک) | PK/PTV | 1971 | 2010 |
| Palestine | Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation (هيئة الإذاعة والتلفزيون الفلسطينية) | PBC | 2002 | 2014 |
| Papua New Guinea | National Broadcasting Corporation | NBC | 1977 | |
| Peru | Teledos | T2 | 1969 | 1971 |
| Peru | Compañía Peruana de Radiodifusión | AMÉRICA | 1969 | |
| Peru | Panamericana Televisión | PANTEL | 1969 | |
| Qatar | Qatar Television and Broadcasting Service | QTBC | 1973 | |
| Qatar | Al Jazeera Children's Channel | JCC | 2008 | 2013 |
| Qatar | Qatar Radio (إذاعة قطر) | QR | 2009 | 2009 |
| Saudi Arabia | Saudi Arabian Broadcasting and Television Service | SABTVS | | |
| Senegal | Radiodiffusion Télévision Sénégalaise | RTS | 1973 | 2006 |
| Sri Lanka | Ceylon Broadcasting Corporation | CBC | | 1973 |
| Sri Lanka | Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (ශ්‍රී ලංකා ගුවන් විදුලි සංස්ථාව, Shrī Lankā Guvan Viduli Sansthāva) (இலங்கை ஒலிபரப்புக் கூட்டுத்தாபனம், Ilangkai Oliparappuk Kūṭṭuttāpaṉam) | SLBC | 2007 | 2010 |
| South Africa | South African Broadcasting Corporation | SABC | 1951 | 2022 |
| South Korea | Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (주식회사문화방송) | MBC | | 2009 |
| Sudan | Sudan Television Service | STS | 1976 | |
| Tanzania | Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation | TBC | | |
| United Arab Emirates | Emirates Media Inc. | EMI | | 2006 |
| United Arab Emirates | United Arab Emirates Radio And Television – Dubai | UAERTVD | | 2006 |
| United States | National Association of Educational Broadcasters | NAEB | | 1981 |
| United States | Time Life Television | TIME | | 1970 |
| United States | United States Information Agency | USIA | | |
| United States | National Educational Television | NET | | 1970 |
| United States | Educational Broadcasting Corporation | EBC | 1971 | |
| United States | Corporation for Public Broadcasting | CPB | 1972 | |
| United States | Cable News Network | CNN | | |
| United States | International Broadcasting Bureau | IBB | | 2007 |
| United States | Minnesota Public Radio | MPR | 2004 | 2007 |
| United States | New York Public Radio | NYPR | 2012 | 2016 |
| United States | WGBH Educational Foundation | WGBH | 2014 | 2014 |
| Upper Volta | Radiodiffusion-Télévision Voltaïque | RTV | | 1981 |
| Uruguay | Sociedad Televisora Larrañaga (Tele 12) | C12 | 1970 | 1976 |
| Venezuela | Teleinversiones S.A. | | 1969 | 1970 |
| Venezuela | Corporación Venezolana de Televisión | VV | 1973 | |
| Venezuela | Radio Caracas Televisión | RCTV | | 2010 |
| Venezuela | Radio Caracas Radio | RCR | | 2010 |
| Zaire | La Voix du Zaïre | VZ | | |
| Zimbabwe | Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation | ZBC | | 2010 |

### Approved participant members

Any groups or organisations from a country with International Telecommunication Union (ITU) membership, which does not qualify for either the EBU's Active or Associate memberships, but still provide a broadcasting activity for the EBU, are granted a unique Approved Participants membership, which lasts approximately five years. An application for this status may be submitted to the EBU at any given time, providing an annual fee is paid.
The following eight EBU broadcast members had status as Approved Participants in November 2024.
| Country | Broadcasting Organisation | Abbr. |
| France | Euronews | EURONEWS |
| France | Institut national de l'audiovisuel | INA |
| France | TV5Monde | TV5 |
| North Macedonia | JP Makedonska Radiodifuzija | JP MRD |
| Serbia | Radio Television of Vojvodina | RTV |
| Spain | Catalunya Música | CAT |
| Spain | Cellnex | CELLNEX |
The following members previously had status as Approved Participants.
| Country/Region | Broadcasting Organisation | Abbr. |
| France | International Radio and Television Union (Université radiophonique et télévisuelle internationale) | URTI |
| Hungary | Antenna Hungária [hu] | AH |
| Israel | Israeli Educational Television | IETV |
| MENA | MBC Limited – Middle East Broadcasting Centre | MBC |
| Russia | Russian Television and Radio Broadcasting Network | RTRN |
| South Africa | Sentech | SNTC |
| Spain | Abertis Telecom S.A. | ABERTIS |
| Spain | Retevisión | RETE |

## Organised events

The EBU in co-operation with the respective host broadcaster organises competitions and events in which its members can participate if they wish to do so. These include:

### Eurovision Song Contest

The Eurovision Song Contest (French: Concours Eurovision de la chanson) is an annual international song competition between EBU members, that was first held in Lugano, Switzerland, on 24 May 1956. Seven countries participated – each submitting two songs, for a total of 14. This was the only contest in which more than one song per country was performed: since 1957, all contests have allowed one entry per country. The 1956 contest was won by the host nation, Switzerland. The winner of the most recent contest, which took place in Malmö, Sweden, is Switzerland.

### Let the Peoples Sing

Let the Peoples Sing is a biennial choir competition, the participants of which are chosen from radio recordings entered by EBU radio members. The final, encompassing three categories and around ten choirs, is offered as a live broadcast to all EBU members. The overall winner is awarded the Silver Rose Bowl. The first winner was Glasgow Phoenix Choir, conducted by their Chorus Master Peter Mooney, from Scotland in the 1961 competition that was held in London. The most recent winner is Copenhagen Girls Choir from Denmark, conducted by Anne-Terese Sales, in the 2024 competition that was held in London.

### Jeux sans frontières

Jeux sans frontières (English: Games Without Borders, lit. 'Games Without Frontiers') was a Europe-wide television game show. In its original conception, it was broadcast from 1965 to 1999 under the auspices of the EBU. The original series' run ended in 1982, but was revived in 1988 with a different composition of nations and was hosted by smaller broadcasters.

### Eurovision Young Musicians

Eurovision Young Musicians is a competition for European musicians that are between the ages of 12 and 21 years old. It is organised by the EBU and is a member of EMCY. The first competition was held in Manchester, United Kingdom on 11 May 1982. The televised competition is held every other year, with some countries holding national finals. Since its inaugural edition in 1982, it has become one of the most important music competitions on an international level. The winner of the most recent contest, which took place in Bodø, Norway, is Austria.

### Eurovision Young Dancers

Eurovision Young Dancers was a biennial dance showcase broadcast on television throughout Europe. The inaugural competition was held in Reggio Emilia, Italy on 16 June 1985. It uses a format similar to the Eurovision Song Contest. Every participating country has the opportunity to send a dance act to compete for the title of Eurovision Young Dancer. The competition is for solo dancers, and all contestants must be between the ages of 16 and 21, and not professionally engaged. The winner of the most recent contest, which took place in Prague, Czech Republic, is Poland.

### Euroclassic Notturno

Euroclassic Notturno is a six-hour sequence of classical music recordings, assembled by BBC Radio from material supplied by EBU members and streamed back to those broadcasters by satellite for use in their overnight classical-music schedules. The recordings used are taken not from commercial CDs, but from earlier (usually live) radio broadcasts.

### Junior Eurovision Song Contest

The Junior Eurovision Song Contest (French: Concours Eurovision de la Chanson Junior) is an annual international song competition that was first held in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 15 November 2003. Sixteen countries participated in the inaugural edition, with each submitting one song. The inaugural contest was won by Croatia. The winner of the most recent contest, which took place in Madrid, Spain, is Georgia.

### Eurovision Dance Contest

The Eurovision Dance Contest (not to be confused with Eurovision Young Dancers) was an international dancing competition that was held for the first time in London, United Kingdom, on 1 September 2007. The inaugural contest was won by Finland. The competition was repeated in 2008 when it was held in Glasgow, United Kingdom, but has not been held since. The winner of the most recent contest is Poland.

### Magic Circus Show

The Magic Circus Show was an entertainment show organised by the EBU, which took place in 2010, 2011 and 2012 in Geneva, Switzerland. Children aged between 7–14 representing eight countries within the EBU membership area performed a variety of circus acts at the Geneva Christmas Circus (French: Cirque de Noël Genève). The main show was also accompanied by the Magic Circus Show Orchestra.

### Eurovision Choir

The inaugural Eurovision Choir, featuring non-professional choirs selected by EBU members, took place on 22 July 2017 in Riga, Latvia, hosted by the Latvian broadcaster Latvijas Televīzija (LTV). Nine countries took part in the first edition. Carmen Manet from Slovenia was the first winner and the winner of the most recent contest, which took place in Gothenburg, Sweden, was Vocal Line from Denmark.

### European Sports Championships

The European Sports Championships is a multi-sport event involving some of the leading sports in Europe. The European Governing Bodies for athletics, aquatics, cycling, rowing, golf, gymnastics and triathlon, coordinated their individual championships as part of the first edition in the summer of 2018, hosted by the cities of Berlin, Germany (already chosen as the host for the 2018 European Athletics Championships) and Glasgow, United Kingdom (already chosen as the host for the 2018 European Aquatics Championships, and which concurrently also hosted the events of the other sports).