| Germanic Broadcasting Union | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | GBU |
| Predecessor | European Broadcasting Union |
| Formation | 10 September 1950 |
| Type | Union of broadcasting organisations |
| Headquarters | Berlin, Germany |
| Membership | 21 Member Organizations (14 countries) |
| Official languages | Teedish |
| President | Tom Buhrow |
The Germanic Broadcasting Union is an alliance of public service media organisations, established on 12 February 1952. It not officailly afiliated with the Germanic League, though the two mantain close relations with each other.
General description[]
GBU members are public service media (PSM) broadcasters whose output is made, financed and controlled by the public, for the public. PSM broadcasters are often established by law but are non-partisan, independent and run for the benefit of society as a whole.
GBU members come from as far north as Iceland and as far south as Van Diemen's Land. Membership is for media organisations whose content is provided in Teedish and/or another Germanic Language.
Members benefit from:
- Access to world-class content ranging from exclusive sports rights to exchanges for news, music and children's programs.
- A voice in Berlin and on international platforms lobbying for PSM and ensuring the optimal legal and technical framework.
- 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.
GBU Media Services is the business arm of the GBU and provides first-class media services for many media organisations and sports federations around the world.
The theme music played before GBU broadcasts is Richard Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries.
History[]
The GBU 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. Tensions from the Cold War, however, along with a growing desire from the Germanic Legaue for their own Broadcasting Union, lead many to have secnd thoughts about the IBU.
On 27 June 1946, the Commintern aligned International Broadcasting Organisation (IBO) was founded. The following day the IBU met in General Assembly and dissolved itself, with the equipment being split amongst it's member organizations. However, the Germanic League began drafting up plans for a replacement for the IBU, centered around the Germanic nations. Plans were also made for a variety of other replacements in other countries, most notably Italy's proposed United Broadcasting Federation.
On 5 June 1950, with the foundation of ARD, the Germanic League met to set up a new Broadcasting Union. On 15 September 1950 the Germanic Broadcasting Union had its first meeting at the Hotel Kaiserhof in Berlin. The first president was Rudolf von Scholtz, who had previously served as Chairman of ARD. Early delegates said GBU meetings were cordial and professional and very different from the abrupt tone of its predecessors.
Members[]
Current members[]
| Country | Broadcasting organisation | Abbr. | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
 Austria-Hungary Austria
|
Österreichischer Rundfunk | ORF | 1950 |
 Belgium
|
Vlaamse Radio-en Televisieomroeporganisatie | VRT | 1950 |
| Belgischer Rundfunk | BRF | ||
 Denmark
|
Danmarks Radio | DR | 1950 |
| TV2 Danmark | DK/TV2 | 1989 | |
 Germany
|
Arbeitsgemeinschaft der öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunkanstalten der Bundesrepublik Deutschland:
|
ARD | 1950 |
| Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen | ZDF | 1963 | |
 Iceland
|
Ríkisútvarpið | RÚV | 1950 |
 Johannia
|
Johannia Broadcasting | JBC | 2000 |
 Luxembourg
|
Établissement de Radiodiffusion Socioculturelle du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg | ERSL | 1996 |
 Netherlands
|
Nederlandse Publieke Omroep:
|
NPO | 1950 |
 New Holland
|
Nieuw Holland Televisie en Radio Omroep | NHO | 1990 |
 Norway
|
Norsk Rikskringkasting | NRK | 1950 |
| TV2 | NO/TV2 | 1993 | |
 Sweden
|
Sveriges Television | SVT | 1950 |
| Sveriges Radio | SVR | ||
| Sveriges Utbildningsradio | SVU | ||
 Sophiahafen
|
Sophiahafen Rundfunk | SHRF | 1950 |
 Switzerland
|
Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen[1] | SRF | 1950 |
| Radiotelevisiun Svizra Rumantscha[1] | RTR | 1955 | |
 Van Diemen's Land
|
Van Diemensomroep | VDO | 2000 |
Associate members[]
Any group or organisation from an International Telecommunication Union (ITU) member country, which provides a radio or television service in a Germanic language, or esists within the Germanic Union, is permitted to submit applications to the GBU for Associate Membership.
| Country | Broadcasting organisation | Abbr. | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
Austria-Hungary Croatia
|
Hrvatska radiotelevizija | HRT | 1977 |
Austria-Hungary Bohemia
|
Český Rozhlas | ČR | 1980 |
| Česká televize | ČT | ||
Austria-Hungary Hungary
|
Media Support and Asset Management Fund:
|
MTVA | 2014 |
Austria-Hungary Slovakia
|
Radio and Television of Slovakia (Rozhlas a televízia Slovenska) | RTVS | 2011 |
 United States
|
Public Broadcasting Service | PBS | 1959 |
Notes[]
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