European week: Eurovision Song Contest 2008 and UEFA Champions League Final

This week we have two significant events in Europe: the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 and the UEFA Champions League Final. I have devoted a post to each of them, but today a colleague has given me some interesting information about the Contest and I want to share it with you.

What is the European Broadcasting Union?
The European Broadcasting Union is the largest association of national broadcasters in the world. It promotes cooperation between broadcasters and facilitates the exchange of audiovisual content. The EBU works to ensure that the crucial role of public service broadcasters is recognised and taken into consideration by decision-makers. It was founded in 1950, it has got 75 active members, from 56 countries in and around Europe. It counts on with 45 associate members around the world. Member broadcasters reach an audience of 650 million weekly!

The EBU helps its members to access high quality programming for radio and television, and works with them to develop content for new platforms. Radio activities are wide-ranging, from news and sport, to drama and classical music. They have obtained the radio broadcast rights for the entire season of the New York Metropolitan Opera (20 operas to 20 countries). Their television co-productions include, animation: Tom, drama: Henry Dunant – Red on the Cross, documentary: Democracy and of course they also run the Eurovision Song Contest, and its website. The EBU acquires sports rights on behalf of its Members, including the Olympic Games, the Football World Cup and the World Championships in Athletics.

The Eurovision Song Contest is one of the longest running television shows in the world. It was on the 24th of May, 1956, that Europe saw the first ever Eurovision Song Contest. After 52 runnings, the contest is one of the most typical European traditions.

For the history of the Eurovision Song Contest, click on this link.

More information: EBU and Wikipedia.

And here you have one of my favourite songs from the European Song Contest. The song title is "Everyway that I can" and the singer is Sertab Erener, from Turkey. She was the winner of the 2003 Contest.