CBC/Radio-Canada, the Canadian national broadcaster, has been granted full membership of the European Broadcasting Union.
CBC/Radio-Canada was granted full EBU membership today at the 96th General Assembly of the European Broadcasting Union in Prague. CBC/Radio-Canada was previously an associate member of the EBU from foundation of the EBU in 1950 until this year.
The decision to grant CBC/Radio-Canada full EBU membership followed a revision to the EBU’s Statutes, which were also approved by the General Assembly today. The revised framework opens extra-European Membership to broadcasting organizations from countries with a public service media system aligned with core Council of Europe standards and formal observer status with the Council of Europe. Canada was deemed to meet both criteria.
Noel Curran, Director General of the EBU, said:
“CBC/Radio-Canada has been part of the EBU family since our foundation in 1950. As one of the world’s leading public broadcasters, it has already contributed hugely to our Union — helping us set and uphold the standards of public service journalism that matter most right now. Full Membership means we can now do even more together: on platform accountability, on trusted news, on the resilience that public broadcasters need to build for the years ahead. Canada’s voice in this community makes us stronger.”
Marie-Philippe Bouchard, President and CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada, added:
“Thank you to the European Broadcasting Union for welcoming CBC/Radio-Canada as a full Member. This new chapter in our relationship with the EBU and its members will deepen our cooperation at a time when the collective impact of public service media is essential. It’s an important milestone that will benefit people on both sides of the Atlantic by helping to combat disinformation and support cultural expression.
“As a full Member, we are hitting the ground running by announcing our full participation in the Eurovision News Exchange. This will allow more Canadian news and perspectives to reach audiences in Europe, and bring more international coverage to Canadians.”
As a full EBU member, CBC/Radio-Canada can now access member-only networks for investigative journalism, verification, digital news and data, as well as the Eurovision News Exchange and Euroradio Music Exchange services. It also has the right to participate in any Eurovision contest without needing a special invitation from the EBU, as is currently the case for SBS, the Australian national broadcaster.
Canada has previously participated in Eurovision Young Dancers in 1987 and 1989. Canada’s participation in the 1987 contest marked the first time that a country outside the European Broadcasting Area participated in a Eurovision Contest. Several Canadian singers have also represented other countries at the Eurovision Song Contest, such as Sherisse Laurence (Luxembourg 1986), Annie Cotton (Switzerland 1993), Natasha St-Pier (France 2001), Rykka (Switzerland 2016) and Céline Dion (1988 winner for Switzerland).
CBC/Radio-Canada was first reported to be exploring participation in the Eurovision Song Contest in November 2025. The broadcaster also sent observers to the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna.
Source: EBU
