The African Union of Broadcasting (AUB)’s Director General, Grégoire Ndjaka joined fellow broadcast executives at the World Broadcasting Unions (WBU) meeting in Dublin on June 29, 2017. Held alongside the European Broadcasting Union’s (EBU) 78th General Assembly, the summit brought together leaders from across the globe to tackle critical issues facing the broadcasting industry.
Discussions focused on sports rebroadcasting rights, frequency spectrum defense, and signal protection.
“We addressed vital issues concerning the future of our unions, particularly regarding sports rebroadcasting rights and the protection of frequencies and TV signals,” stated Mr. Ndjaka. “We agreed to continue our collective lobbying efforts to ensure the unified voice of public broadcasters is heard on the international stage.”
Leadership transition at the EBU
The gathering coincided with a major leadership transition within the EBU. Outgoing Director General Ingrid Deltenre announced her departure after eight years at the helm to focus on board commitments at Banque Cantonale Vaudoise, Givaudan, and Deutsche Post/DHL.
EBU President Jean-Paul Philippot commended her service: “I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Ingrid for her exceptional work and numerous achievements throughout her tenure.”
Reflecting on her time in office, Ms. Deltenre noted, “It has been a privilege to lead the EBU over the last eight years. With public service media across Europe facing increasing political and economic pressure, the EBU’s mission to uphold public service values has never been more critical.”
Former RTÉ Director-General Noel Curran was appointed as her successor. Upon his appointment, Mr. Curran remarked, “The EBU represents some of the world’s finest media organizations, content creators, and journalists. It is an immense honor to step into this role, and I look forward to working with our membership to navigate necessary changes and secure the future of public service media.”
About the World Broadcasting Unions (WBU)
Established in 1992, the World Broadcasting Unions (WBU) serves as the international coordinating body for regional broadcasting unions worldwide, delivering unified strategies on key industry issues.
The WBU comprises eight regional member unions:
ABU – Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union
ASBU – Arab States Broadcasting Union
AUB – African Union of Broadcasting
CBU – Caribbean Broadcasting Union
EBU – European Broadcasting Union
IAB/AIR – International Association of Broadcasting
NABA – North American Broadcasters Association (currently hosting the WBU Secretariat)
OTI – Organización de Telecomunicaciones de Iberoamérica
Irene GAOUDA
