A significant honour for ERT and its international standing has been achieved today with the unanimous election of its President, Yiannis Papadopoulos, to the Executive Board of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). This prestigious appointment places a key figure from the Greek public broadcaster within the EBU’s highest administrative body, marking a notable recognition of ERT’s contributions.
ERT President joins EBU’s top administrative body
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) officially announced the unanimous election of Yiannis Papadopoulos, President of the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (ERT), to its esteemed Executive Board. This pivotal appointment underscores ERT’s growing influence and its unwavering commitment to the principles of public service broadcasting across Europe.
The EBU Executive Board functions as the supreme administrative body of the Union, responsible for guiding its strategic direction and overseeing its wide array of activities, which notably includes the organisation of the Eurovision Song Contest. Mr. Papadopoulos’s election is a strong testament to his leadership capabilities and ERT’s dedicated engagement with the EBU’s core values and initiatives.
This new role will enable Mr. Papadopoulos to directly contribute to shaping the future of public broadcasting throughout the continent, ensuring that the interests and unique perspectives of Greece’s national broadcaster are well-represented at the highest level. It is a moment of immense pride for ERT and serves as a clear affirmation of its active and valued participation within the broader EBU community.
Yiannis Papadopoulos joins two other new Board Members: Rhodri Talfan Davies (BBC) and Susanne Wille (SRG SSR). The newly elected members will serve until the end of 2026, completing the terms of their predecessors.
Noel Curran (EBU Director General) says:
“I would like to warmly congratulate Giannis on his election to the EBU Executive Board. Giannis brings a wealth of experience in journalism and media management, as well as a deep commitment to the democratic, cultural and social role of public service media. At a time when credible journalism and media resilience are high on the agenda of all our Members, Giannis’ experience and perspective will be a valuable addition to the Executive Board. I look forward to working closely with him as we continue to strengthen public service media and ensure that they remain relevant, credible and accessible to audiences across Europe.”
ERT’s official press release reads:
A particularly important distinction for ERT and its international presence is the unanimous election of ERT President, Yannis Papadopoulos , to the Executive Board of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) , the highest administrative body of the European Broadcasting Union.
This election constitutes practical recognition of the role played by ERT in the European public media ecosystem and confirms its strengthened position and credibility in the international broadcasting space.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) is the largest alliance of public service broadcasters in the world , representing 113 public service media organisations from 56 countries in Europe , the Middle East and North Africa, as well as public service broadcasters from the US, Canada, Australia and Japan.
ERT’s participation in the Executive Board substantially strengthens our country’s ability to actively contribute to shaping developments on the European broadcasting map, to convey its positions and priorities to the highest decision-making centers and to expand opportunities for international cooperation, exchange of know-how and development of joint initiatives.
In his statement before the EBU General Assembly, the ERT President underlined that the strength of the European Broadcasting Union stems from the collective action of its members in the face of the major challenges facing the media industry today. He referred in particular to artificial intelligence , the transformation of the digital environment , the spread of disinformation , economic and regulatory pressures , as well as the increasing difficulties of free access to important content , such as sports rights, due to the strengthening of global digital platforms.
During his speech, the President of ERT also highlighted the significant steps forward that the Organization has taken in recent years, with an emphasis on strengthening the credibility and international presence of public broadcasting, accelerating the digital transformation through ERTFLIX, as well as through the digital audio platform ERTεcho . At the same time, he referred to the strengthening of radio through the development of the national digital broadcasting network DAB+ , ensuring citizens’ access to top cultural and sporting events of international scope , such as Eurovision, the Olympic Games and the Football World Cup, as well as maintaining the financial autonomy and sustainable operation of ERT.
ERT will continue to work consistently to strengthen its international presence, promote innovation and create new opportunities for collaboration, for the benefit of citizens and public broadcasting.
