From October, EBU Members will be able to prioritize live news content from the Eurovision News Exchange with the launch of three new satellite channels – EBU1, EBU2 and EBU3 - which will make breaking news stories and key content more easily accessible.

‘Lives’ are particularly valued in news markets because of their resonance with audiences and the increasing demand for immediate analysis and news delivered ‘as it happens’.

EBU1 will now be the go-to channel for the important content that Members need to see first, including lives, playback, breaking news items and editor’s picks. This channel replaces the Permanent News Network (PNN) which ceased on 1 October.

The new channels will feature new menu displays, with a colour-coded list of live and additional content. 

EBU Member feedback on the new channels:

Geertje Bal, Chair, EBU Editorial Subcommittee, said “For us at VRT, the disappearance of the PNN wasn’t such a big change. But we are very happy to receive more live coverage now. Because that’s what we need these days in our newsroom for all our different platforms. We hope this will also make Members offer more live coverage.

“The screens look nice and the information is clear. So far things seem to be working well and we hope this change will enable us to use the EBU content in an even better way than we used to do.”

Simon Ward, News Ed, BBC News UK Operations: “At the BBC, with three continuous live channels, we’re excited by the prospect of more live content coming from the EBU. We’re also pleased that we’ll start seeing playbacks, news flashes and editor’s picks coming on EBU1.

“Since we moved to a single agency deal, we were unable to record the PNN due to the risk of material we couldn’t use entering our Media Asset Manager (MAM). Now we can record EBU1, safe in the knowledge that it will carry material that all MAM’s can use and everything that we see can be used by us as well. We appreciate three live channels require more live content. We’re looking for more opportunities to offer live shots such as from protests or from the Houses of Parliament that will give Members more options when covering these sorts of stories.”

Asun Gómez Bueno, International Relations Director, RTVE: “This change has been going very well, so I’d like to congratulate those in charge for dealing with it, because it’s not an easy change. For us within RTVE, life is going to be much easier and therefore we really appreciate the effort that all the EBU staff are doing, so thank you very much."

More details on the new service