The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has announced the re-election of its president and vice president alongside the election of three new executive board members.
Re-elected as president and VP respectively, France Télévisions CEO Delphine Ernotte Cunci and Swedish Radio director-general Cilla Benkö return with a new two-year mandate. They are joined by by three new members on the executive board: the BBC’s Rhodri Talfan Davies, Yannis Papadopoulos of ERT and SRG SSR’s Susanne Wille (SRG SSR). Elected to fill vacancies on the 11-strong body, the new additions will complete the terms of their predecessors, serving until the end of this year.
Cunci was appointed CEO of France Télévisions in 2015. Prior to joining France Télévisions, she spent 26 years at Orange S.A., latterly serving as CEO of Orange France from 2011 to 2015. She has served as President of the EBU since October 2020.
“I would like to thank the Members very much for their renewed trust,” she said. “I am honoured to take on this mandate as president of the EBU at a time when PSM is under attack, and our Union and solidarity are even more valuable to each of us. The instability of our geopolitical context makes the very sovereignty of Europe and its ability to protect its populations a central priority for decision makers. In a fast-changing world, it is our duty to thrive for unity and hold a strong vision for togetherness. Through extended cooperation, we will keep providing high-quality coverage of global events and strengthen our impact.”
CEO of Sveriges Radio (SR) since 2012, Benkö has been a member of the EBU executive board since 2010 and was first elected VP in November 2023.
Benkö said: “I am honoured to have been re-elected as Vice-President and look forward to continuing to work in close collaboration with Delphine and the EBU management team. These are transformative times for public service media, which is under pressure in many countries. At the same time, with liberal democracies declining, our role as an unbiased and value-driven public service is more important than ever. I stand committed to working tirelessly to fulfil the trust our Members have put in me.”
Noel Curran, director-general of the EBU, said, “I warmly congratulate Delphine and Cilla on their re-election and thank them for their continued leadership of the EBU at a critical time for public service media. I also welcome Rhodri Talfan Davies, Yannis Papadopoulos and Susanne Wille to the Executive Board. Their expertise and commitment will strengthen the Board as we continue to support and champion public service media across Europe and beyond.”
Full executive board:
President: Delphine Ernotte Cunci, CEO, France Télévisions (France)
VP: Cilla Benkö, director-general, SR (Sweden)
Nathalie Biancolli, director-general, TV Monaco (Monaco)
Mykola Chernotytskyi, head of the managing board, Suspilne Ukraine (Ukraine)
Monika Garbačiauskaitė-Budrienė, director-general, LRT (Lithuania)
Milen Mitev, director-general, BNR (Bulgaria)
Yannis Papadopoulos, president of the board of directors, ERT (Greece)
Nicolau Santos, president, RTP (Portugal)
Rhodri Talfan Davies, deputy director-general, BBC (United Kingdom)
Katja Wildermuth, director-general, BR (Germany)
Susanne Wille, director-general, SRG SSR (Switzerland)
