Three DJs in the southern Dutch town of Breda have begun 3FM Serious Request, a stunt by public radio network 3FM to collect money for refugee charities. The event is organised in partnership with the International Red Cross. The DJs will stay locked in a glass construction in the city’s Grote Markt square without eating anything for six days. They will play requests for people who donate money.
Development Co-operation Minister Bert Koenders travelled to Breda to help launch 3FM Serious Request. He has pledged 2.5 million euros in government aid if the DJs - Giel Beelen, Coen Swijnenberg and Paul Rabbering - manage to collect the same amount in the coming six days. This is the third Christmas that DJs from the 3FM radio station have collected money for charity by staging Serious Request.
(Source: RNW News)
Andy Sennitt adds: As a bonus this year, the entire marathon can be seen live 24 hours a day on all the cable TV systems of Ziggo, which is the company that serves the area where I live. There are several cameras showing the DJ, the studio and the visitors outside. There’s a microphone for those who want to talk to the DJ live on the radio, and he indicates by hand signals that he’s going to put them on the air after the current music track finishes.
The TV broadcast can also be seen live worldwide on the 3FM website. Go to this page and click on the option ‘Kijk live’ (View live) right at the top of the page in the white menu bar. NB: The 3FM player may require you to download an Active X control.
on Dec 20th, 2008 at 16:32
UPC also has carriage of the broadcasts. The ‘bonus’ has been also last years on both UPC as Ziggo (so not only ‘this’ year). In fact it is 101 TV which is being relayed, the channel of BNN. http://www.101.tv/page/live
or http://www.omroep.nl/live/thema/bnn101tv-bb-nl.asx is much faster as a direct link
on Dec 21st, 2008 at 13:42
Correction: this is already the 5th Christmas that 3FM does ‘Serious Request’. In the last 4 years they have collected money for several different projects of the Red Cross. Belgian radiostation Studio Brussel joined the Dutch initiative two years later in 2006. They call it ‘Music for life’. This year the Swedish radiostation Sveriges Radio P3 joined. They call it ‘ Musikhjälpen’. The Swedish DJs started a week earlier; they left the glass house the day that the Dutch and the Belgian DJs entered their glass houses. his year there is also a glass house in Kenya; they aim at creating awareness for the 36 mln refugees all over the world.
For me it is the charity event of the year. I hope more countries will join next year.
on Dec 21st, 2008 at 14:30
Thanks for the correction. Apparently someone in our newsroom can’t count
on Dec 21st, 2008 at 15:29
Dear Andy, before you blame yourself (RNW) I would not count to much on the ANP for their counting ability . I guess this report is ANP based, and I when I worked in newsroom I came across too many ANP mistakes.
on Dec 22nd, 2008 at 23:41
Andy:
Andy: for your information without government financing in 2007:
People of Flanders gave on average last year 33 eurocent per inhabitant (2.000.000 euro)(VRT Studio Brussel)
People of the Netherlands on average gave last year 16 eurocent per inhabitant (2.624.733 euro) (NOS Radio 3FM)
People of French speaking part of Switzerland on average gave last year 24 eurocent per inhabitant (151218 euro)(RSR Couleur 3)
People of Sweden gave this year on average 2,5 eurocent per inhabitant.(SR P3)
The event has different results and impact in different countries. I don’t know if operational costs are deducted from the money which has been get together from the people. Anyway the governments funding seem to be money for international development, which the government yearly is distributing and has decided in advance; only the projects have not been decided. French speaking part of Switzerland decided not to do the event again this year, probably because it was NOT considered a success….