EBU president Jean-Paul Philippot (RTBF, Belgium) has been re-elected for a fourth consecutive term of office. He will lead the Executive Board together with Anna Maria Tarantola (pictured), president of Italian Member RAI, who has been elected as the EBU’s new vice-president.
The appointments were agreed at the EBU’s 72nd General Assembly in Naples.
Tarantola is a former director of the Bank of Italy and has been president of RAI since 2012. During her presidency, Tarantola has campaigned for better representation of women on Italian television.
“I thank all EBU Members for the trust they have placed in me through this election. I strongly believe in the role of the EBU and of public service media (PSM), which are vehicles for freedom, democracy, culture and ethical values,” she said. “In the difficult times we are experiencing, the role of PSM is more important than ever, but requires a strong capacity to innovate in the new technology sector. I am really pleased for RAI and proud to have been elected by my EBU colleagues. I promise my full commitment to the success of our organisation’s mission.”
Philippot will lead the world’s largest union of public broadcasters for another two years, having begun his tenure in 2009.
“I am very grateful for the renewed confidence invested in me by our Members and proud to be able to continue my work with the Executive Board and Director General Ingrid Deltenre at this crucial time for public service broadcasting,” said Philippot. “It is more important than ever to defend and promote the EBU Values to ensure that public service media in our 56 Member countries continue to serve audiences with relevant, high-quality and distinctive content.”
The Presidency will continue to support the EBU’s mission to safeguard the role of public service media and promote its indispensable contribution to society.
