Cadenabbia Leadership Forum for Public Service Media from Africa and Europe

Cadenabbia Leadership Forum, November 2025

Hendrik Sittig - Director at KAS Media Africa

Michelle Roverelli - Director of Member Relations and Communications of the EBU

Participants during a panel discussion

Alessandra Zupi - Researcher for Analyses and Studies at RAI

Nomsa Chabeli - DG of the South African Broadcasting Corporation

Philipp Schild - Managing Director at funk

Tinatin Berdzenishvili - DG of the Georgian Public Broadcaster

Grégoire Ndjaka - DG of the ABU

Radka Betcheva - Head of Member Relations, Central and Eastern Europe, EBU

Beatriz Pastor Y Puga - Head of Member Relations South, EBU

The nineteen leaders came from South Africa, The Gambia, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Cameroon, Ghana, Senegal, Bulgaria, Italy, Romania, Estonia, Armenia, the UK, and Georgia.

Over two intensive days, participants explored shared challenges such as limited budgets, competition with tech giants, political interference, disinformation, and how to engage younger audiences. Despite the myriad difference identified and thrashed out, one truth stood out: public service media organisations share more than their mandates, they share common struggles and a vision for the future.

The conclusion of the Forum was that innovation and resilience are key to sustaining and driving public service media forward.

As AUB Director General Gregoire Ndjaka put it, “We don’t need help, we need collaboration and partnership”.

And Hendrik Sittig, director of KAS Media Africa, emphasised: “We have built a bridge between Africa and Europe. Now we have to cross it”.

We look forward to the fruits of this Forum.