The Caribbean Broadcasting Union is a grouping of public and independent media houses – radio, television, print and digital – as well as regulators, media education institutions and independent producers in countries and territories in the Dutch, English, French & Spanish Caribbean.

Established in 1970, the CBU’s mandate includes capacity-building and training, content sharing of both live and pre-produced programming, media sector advocacy and support as well as promotion of communication and information rights.

In the early decades the CBU established itself as a major actor in regional integration and development through the creation of signature programmes which told the stories of the Caribbean people to audiences at home and abroad. From the “Programme One” radio series supported by UNESCO in the 1970s to the news and current affairs flagships of CaribScope, and Caribbean Newsline, the CBU acted as the hub of indigenous content. This was paralleled by the Caribbean Song Festival which brought to the fore musical talent from around the English, Dutch, French and Spanish Caribbean.

CBU also led the way in bringing regional coverage of international events, especially in the sporting sphere, including the 1996 and 2000 Summer Olympics.

In the year 2000, the CBU partnered with the Caribbean News Agency to create the affiliate Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) which became the production arm of the organisation. The CMC currently operates the subscription news service CANA news as well as the pan-regional television channel CaribVision which serves audiences in the region as well as diaspora centres in North America and Europe.

The CBU is headquartered in Barbados, with a small Secretariat headed by a Secretary General. The organisation’s highest governance body is the Board of Directors, currently chaired by Dr Claire Grant, the Deputy CEO of the RJRGLEANER Communications Group based in Jamaica. With a current active membership of thirty-four (34) organisations, the CBU continues to grow its membership and partnerships.

The CBU is a member of the World Broadcasting Unions (WBU) and holds associate membership or has developed MOUs with sector bodies, such as the Public Media Alliance (PMA) the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) and Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM).
CBU also works closely with regional entities such as the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Caribbean Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).

The Union holds membership in international development agency groupings such as UNESCO’s World Radio Day Committee and the Media and Information Literacy Alliance. The CBU is a long-standing associate member of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU)-D Group.

The major activities of the CBU are the annual Caribbean Media Awards the Annual General Assembly and the CBU Media Hall of Fame. The 55th Assembly, 2024 Hall of Fame Ceremony and 35th Awards Gala will take place in Belize from August 11 – 14, 2024.