Canada becomes member of EBU opening up path to Eurovision Song Contest entry

By Casey Cooper-Fiske, Press Association Senior Entertainment Reporter

Canadian national public broadcaster CBC/Radio-Canada has joined the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), making it eligible to enter the Eurovision Song Contest.

The country has collaborated with EBU members on journalism, standards, and technology as an associate member since the 1950s, and has now become a full member following a vote at the EBU’s 96th general assembly in Prague on Thursday.

The move will also allow CBC/Radio-Canada to access member-only networks for investigative journalism, verification, digital news and data, as well as the Eurovision News Exchange and Euroradio Music Exchange services.

Marie-Philippe Bouchard, president and chief executive of CBC/Radio-Canada, said: “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 co-operation 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.”

Canada’s membership comes after a revision to the EBU’s statutes, approved by its general assembly on Thursday, allowing extra-European membership to broadcasting organisations aligned with core Council Of Europe standards and formal observer status with the Council Of Europe.

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.”

While Canada has never previously competed in the song contest, Canadian singer Celine Dion won the 1988 competition with her song Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi while competing for Switzerland.

If it joins the song contest, Canada would become the latest non-European entrant, with Australia competing since 2015 despite only being an associate member of the EBU, and Israel competing since 1973, having been a member of the EBU since 1957.

Israel’s participation in Eurovision has faced scrutiny, with human rights group Amnesty International criticising the EBU for its failure to suspend it due to its actions in Gaza, as it did with Russia after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, calling it an act of “cowardice” and a “blatant double standard”.

There were a number of protests over Israel’s inclusion in the song contest at this year’s edition in Austria, while Ireland, Iceland, the Netherlands, Spain, and Slovenia boycotted the event.

This year’s Eurovision Song Contest was won by Bulgaria’s entrant Dara, who won with her song Bangaranga, meaning the 2027 contest will take place in the country for the first time.

Founded in 1936 as a radio broadcaster, CBC/Radio-Canada is a multi-platform public service media company serving Canadians across six time zones in English, French, and eight Indigenous languages.