Cilla Benkö takes over as vice president of the EBU

The general director of Swedish Radio (SR), Cilla Benkö, has been elected new vice-president of the European Broadcasting Union (UER). For his part, the general director of the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR), Milen Mitev, has also been elected for the first time as a member of the Executive Council.

Both have been elected by an absolute majority at the EBU General Assembly held this Monday in Geneva. They will assume their new duties with immediate effect for the remainder of the 2023 – 2024 term.

The Vice President will be responsible for helping to lead the EBU Executive Council and championing the value and importance of public service media across Europe. The Council ensures the implementation of the EBU strategy and policies.

Cilla Benkö She was appointed Director General and CEO of SR in 2012, after serving as Deputy Director General since 2009. She has been a member of the EBU Executive Council since 2010 and currently chairs the EBU Personnel Committee. She will replace Petr Dvořák, former general director of Czech television, as vice president.

“In difficult and uncertain times, free and independent media have a vital role to play and the need for public service broadcasting has never been greater. There are opportunities to explore how we can revitalize ourselves for the next generation, but we also need to come together and champion the values ​​of public service like never before. I am honored by the trust of the members and I am looking forward to starting as vice president,” says Benkö.

As to Milen Mitev He has developed most of his professional career at BNR. She has closely participated in the work of different bodies of the EBU and is a member of the Legal and Political Committee and the Radio Committee. She fills Cilla Benkö's vacant position on the Executive Committee.

Mitev comments that “public media has a rich past and the challenges we face today create unique opportunities for the days to come. Rapid technological advances have given rise to a new and extremely competitive media world and, at the same time, have given rise to innovative ways of reaching audiences. It has also provided us with new challenges and competitors.

“In this environment we have to work hard to demonstrate the great value that public service media brings to modern democratic societies. Public trust forces us to provide quality service, to remain on the front line in the fight against misinformation and to work hard for a pluralistic and free media environment. I firmly believe in teamwork and it is an honor for me to be a member of the EBU Executive Council. Thank you,” Mitev concludes.

EBU Executive Committee

• President: Delphine Ernotte-Cunci, CEO, France Télévisions (Francia)
• Vicepresidenta: Cilla Benkö, directora general & CEO, SR (Suecia)
• Mykola Chernotytskyi, Head of the Managing Board, UA:PBC (Ucrania)
• Tim Davie, Director General, BBC (UK)
• Monika Garbačiauskaitė-Budrienė, director general, LRT (Lithuania)
• Giacomo Ghisani, Acting Director General, RV (Vaticano)
• Gilles Marchand, director general, SRG SSR (Sueiza)
• Milen Mitev, director general, BNR (Bulgaria)
• Nicolau Santos, Chair of the Board of Directors, RTP (Portugal)
• Marinella Soldi, president, Rai (Italy)
• Katja Wildermuth, CEO, BR (Germany)

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