Eurovision (network)
 | |
| Branding | Eurovision |
|---|---|
| Country | |
| Owner | European Broadcasting Union |
| Launch date | 1954 |
| Official website | eurovision.net |
Eurovision (founded 1954 in Geneva) is part of the European Broadcasting Union, itself founded in 1950 as a system of international broadcasting cooperation. Eurovision was set up for the purpose of exchanging TV programmes and, subsequently, TV news footage (via the daily Eurovision news exchange - EVN).
It has a radio counterpart in Euroradio.
Eurovision is managed by the European Broadcasting Union’s Eurovision Operations Department and offers permanent coverage of Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, North Africa and the Asia-Pacific region, as well as ad-hoc coverage of the African continent and the Pacific Rim. Eurovision is the world’s largest television contribution network
Not confined only to Europe, Eurovision currently encompasses 75 television broadcasting organizations located in 56 countries of Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. Furthermore, there are 61 associated broadcasting organizations in Europe, Africa, America, Asia, and Oceania.
Eurovision TV transmissions may be recognised by the Eurovision logo and the opening theme of Marc-Antoine Charpentier's Te Deum, although most contributed items, such as international relays of sports events, including the Olympics, are not thus credited and the general public is therefore mostly unaware of Eurovision's involvement.
High-profile Eurovision events are the annual Eurovision Song Contest (organised since 1956) and Eurovision Dance Contest (organised in 2007 and 2008), the Eastertime papal blessing 'Urbi et Orbi', the Vienna New Year's Concert, the Palio in Siena and major European sports events, but routine transmissions of sport and culture amount to over 15,000 transmission hours per year. Member broadcasting organisations also provide each other with news footage (over 30,000 separate news items per year) within the framework of the daily Eurovision News Exchanges (EVN). Eurovision also sponsors the annual broadcast news industry conference, News Xchange. Despite the similarity in name this has no direct connection with Eurovision News Exchanges.
The first official Eurovision transmission took place on June 6, 1954. It showed the Narcissus Festival in Montreux, Switzerland.[1]
Eurovision now offers free internet streaming of major sports events such as the London 2012 Olympics on its website, under the name Eurovision Sports.
Eurovision is not affiliated with the European Union.
References
External links
- Eurovision Website
- Eurovision Active Member List
- The Birth of Eurovision (in French)
- Eurovision Sports Live Streaming