Marcel Bezençon
Marcel Bezençon was a Swiss journalist, media executive and the director of the European Broadcasting Union between 1954 and 1970. In 1955, he conceived the idea of the Eurovision Song Contest, based on the famous Sanremo Music Festival.
Bezençon graduated with a degree in art history from the University of Lausanne in 1932, and then started work as a as a freelance art and theater critic before becoming editor of the newspaper Feuille d'Avis. In 1939, he joined Radio suisse romande, where he served as its director until 1950 when he became Director-General of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, which he served until 1972. Bezençon also sat as a member of the board of directors of the Swiss Telegraphic Agency between 1963 and 1972.
In 2002, the Marcel Bezençon Awards were founded by Christer Björkman and Richard Herrey.
