It’s becoming increasingly likely that GrootNieuws Radio, the Dutch Christian radio station on 1008 kHz, will be forced to close down on 1 August. The station still needs to find 500,000 euro by the end of the month. Its appeal for financial assistance has so far resulted in about 500 donations, but the amounts are nowhere near enough. The station, which has has a staff of 8, costs around 100,000 euro per month to operate. 70 percent goes on transmission costs, authors’ rights and the cost of running the studio. It’s not known what the station intends to do with the money donated by listeners if it goes off the air.
(Source: www.radio.nl)
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on Jul 4th, 2008 at 16:08
With energy prices skyrocketing, I don’t think 70,000 Euro a month is going to fit into any business plan they can come up with. Pray for wifi radio.
on Jul 4th, 2008 at 18:05
Decrease powers to 10-50 kw and it will run better, perhaps profit.
on Jul 4th, 2008 at 18:35
I suspect wages and programme production costs are the main
problem here. Those costs cannot be reduced without having an
effect upon the audience.
on Jul 4th, 2008 at 22:02
The licence cost will also remain the same, whatever power is used. And the authorities want ‘management costs’ to monitor the use of the frequency.
on Jul 6th, 2008 at 10:23
Is there any news about how the Catholic station on 675kHz is doing financially?
on Jul 6th, 2008 at 10:41
Put your hands on the radio, Brothers & Sisters, and feel the vibrations! Rejoice! Heaven will provide! Coast to Coast with the Holy Ghost!
on Jul 6th, 2008 at 10:44
Radio Maria on 675 is a different story”: it is backed by powerful Vatican-related institutiions hence no financial problems.
on Jul 6th, 2008 at 14:30
Dear Jonathan, energy costs are indeed skyrocketing, certainly when you use an obsolete transmitter. To inform you, Radio 10Gold, the previous 1008 user, had a State of the Art Nautel Solid State TX installed that saves abouy 50% of the energy costs compared with the old AEG-Telefunken tube equipped one. Apart from that at least 20% of the costs goes to the Government for spectrum fees and doing nothing for it. Radio Netherlands has avoided both KPN BS (GNR operator) and the Dutch spectrum fees by hiring SW in other countries. Yes, as an international broadcaster you can do that, but a domestic AM broadcaster has no choice, as we say in Dutch - overgeleverd aan de heidenen-.