Radio Netherlands Worldwide and broadcasters in twelve other EU countries will launch a new European radio station next year. The station, scheduled to start in April, will broadcast daily on existing frequencies of the participating broadcasters, and will produce programmes reflecting the European point of view. Programmes will also be available on a special website, which will go online in June.
The station will initially broadcast in English, German, French and Polish as the main languages, with translations into five other languages. Dutch will be introduced as a main language in 2009.
The European Radio Project (ERP) has been granted a subsidy of 5.8 million euro a year from the European Commission, but the EC will have no say in the programming.
(Source: RNW News)
on Dec 11th, 2007 at 20:52
Is this an expansion on the “Network Europe” concept wherein a number of broadcasters cooperate on the production of a weekly program?
on Dec 12th, 2007 at 09:12
More or less. The agreement was only signed on Friday, so details haven’t been worked out yet. I do know that RNW will be producing the English version, and will also be responsible for the website. I don’t think it was intended to announce this quite as fast, but one of the Dutch newspapers had an ‘informant’ in Brussels and published the details a few days ago.
on Dec 12th, 2007 at 11:17
Do you know which countries - and broadcasters - will be participating?
on Dec 12th, 2007 at 19:54
See the story: EU to fund pan-European radio station
source: EU Observer at http://euobserver.com/9/25306
on Dec 13th, 2007 at 09:06
More details of who’s doing what will become clearer as time goes on. I can confirm that RNW will be producing the English output (or some it, at least) and running the website. A new editorial team will be appointed. I find this a very exciting development. We have been talking about doing something like this for years. Now all the technology is in place to allow people from different parts of Europe to work together in real time.
on Dec 13th, 2007 at 11:27
I note that in today’s edition of the UK’s Daily Mail, they report the project as “Radio Brussels” and say it will be “EU propaganda.” This sort of reaction is predictable from a right-wing newspaper which is anti-Brussels. Anyone who follows reports on EU affairs from any of the major broadcasters involved - RNW, DW and RFI - will be well aware that we do not carry “propaganda”. One of the things that we’re most proud of at RNW is our editorial independence, and we will not allow this to be compromised.
But under the present system of each country having its own international broadcaster, we tend to reflect the range of opinions within the Netherlands, DW does the same for Germany, RFI for France etc. So to get the whole range of views across Europe you have to tune to a lot of different stations. That will continue, but for people who haven’t time to do that, the idea is to enable more people to hear a wider range of views at one go.
This is what we call democracy. Some newspapers don’t want their readers to hear all these views, because they might realise that the papers are only telling one side of the story. So they have already started using emotive terms like “propaganda” and “Radio Brussels” to put people off the idea before the programme content has even been discussed.
In fact, the ERP consortium was only one of the groups bidding for this contract. It could have been the case that an organisation that wanted to cosy up to the European Commission was awarded the contract. Then there might have been some truth in the Daily Mail’s version of events. But the fact that they have chosen a group of established international broadcasters representing different EU countries is, in my view, reassuring, and proof that the Commission understands that to be credible, the content has to be independently produced.
But you will get the chance to judge for yourselves when the service launches.
on Dec 13th, 2007 at 14:52
Isn’t it a bit exaggerated to refer to this project as a “radio station” when it is just about productions for inclusion in the program line-ups of the participating broadcasters?
And to me this is reminiscent to the EC’s two contracts for broadcasts to Belarus, in force since last year, a small one won by Deutsche Welle (resulting in the Belorusskaya Khronika programme broadcast by DW’s Russian service) and a bigger one, awarded to the Berlin communications agency Media Consulta which created a radio station called European Radio for Belarus (via Hotbird and Sirius, one hour daily via Vilnius 612 kHz and with some FM relays in Poland and the Ukraine).
on Dec 13th, 2007 at 15:05
Well, I’m not sure if the programmes will be included in the programme line-up of the participating broadcasters. That’s just your assumption. It’s about branding. The project doesn’t have a name yet - European Radio Project is just a working title. I think it’s too early to jump to any conclusions. But DW is co-ordinating the editorial process, so they will be the best source of information about this.
on Dec 14th, 2007 at 03:42
As every one of the countries involved just happens to be in the EU and taking into account that over half of the population of England wants out of the EU, one must expect scepticism. It is true that the Daily Mail is right wing, but on the issue of Europe, they are more in line with the people than the British government which has just signed us even deeper into Europe.
In any case, the opportunity will be there for using the set up for propaganda, and I find it hard to believe that there will be no collusion.
Whatever its intention, until we can get out of Europe, I suspect that this station will be seen by many on this side of the North Sea as Radio European Union.
on Dec 14th, 2007 at 11:55
OK Steven,
You are of course entitled to express your own opinion. But by using the term “collusion” you imply that you have no confidence in the integrity of the journalists who work for RNW and the other international broadcasters. That’s disappointing, but means that they will have to work even harder to convince the sceptics that they are not the voice of the European Commission. Indeed, we have a charter which would put us in hot water with the Dutch government if we compromised our independence.
on Dec 14th, 2007 at 17:10
Andy, Please do not get me wrong. I listened to Radio Netherlands on Short Wave as far back as 1970. The Netherlands is my favourite foreign country. I have learnt Dutch and mostly listen to Dutch radio. I have confidence in the Netherlands and RNW.
I do not, however, have confidence in the EU which has a terrible record on corruption and I do not see how it is possible to stop the occasional individual from taking backhanders etc.. Indeed, with other EU countries involved, any misdeeds ( including collusion ) could let down the good reputation of RNW.
on Dec 14th, 2007 at 20:12
Well, as you will see from the article at http://www.radionetherlands.nl/currentaffairs/071214-european-radio , our acting Editor-in-Chief Wim Jansen has pledged that there will be no interference from Brussels. Once the service is up and running, you will be able to form your own judgement on how successful we are at putting this into practice.
on Dec 14th, 2007 at 21:25
Although my view has been largely discounted, already by another BDXC Member. I am still of the opinion that this is a ‘let out’ not only for Radio Netherlands Worldwide, but for other European Bradcasters.
All should be making efforts to transmit these topics on their own stations to Europe. Radio Netherlands for example now only has Sky Channel 0205, for Europe, which I personally am equipped to receive, but many of your former listeners certainly will not be (unlike the BBCWS you are not on DVB-T or DAB in UK. (at least as far as I know-certainly not here in the Merseyside Area.
Ken Fletcher
Ken
I appreciate that you ended up by being ‘frozen out’ on Medium Wave, but believe that direct broadcasting is still possible from Flevo in ‘A’ Seasons and Bonaire or Madagacar in ‘B’ Seasons.
Ken Fletcher
on Dec 15th, 2007 at 16:27
I hope it does not become yet another Network Europe on the same channel as RNW in English, because as a daily listener during lunch time I now hear always one item from RN broadcasted earlier the week repeated again in N.E. It may be nice for the ocassional listener, but definately not for the daily listener. In that case better use another channel
on Dec 15th, 2007 at 18:18
Network Europe is, indeed, a programme containing material already produced by the participating broadcasters. No firm decisions have been made, but I have a feeling that this new set of programmes will be separate from the main output of RNW. It’s not aimed at a worldwide audience, but as a platform for intra-European dialogue. I don’t think the intention is to replace any of the material currently broadcast on the various stations, but rather to add to it. The scheduling is one of the many things that have to be discussed. But your point is well taken.
on Dec 15th, 2007 at 21:05
I have just spent hours surfing the web in respect of this to make sure that I have read all available information and not subjected myself to any propaganda. There are too many websites for me to quote.
It would seem that the European Commission put out to tender for a radio station to produce news programming on EU affairs. The station ( won by a consortium of 16 stations in 13 countries ) could, therefore, be called Radio Brussels or Radio EU but there will be no direct interference by the EC. There will not need to be because what the EC wanted was an EU affairs station and they have got that.
The editorial content will be organized and overseen by the German Deutsche Welle, the French will see to the finances and the Dutch RNW will see to the website.
I had already smelt a rat, but having got to grips with the story, it would appear that the rat is real. I have no doubt that this will be a station for those who are pro European Union and the anti brigade will surely never listen.
There will be good justification for saying that this is just another small step towards a United States of Europe, as radio stations are not normally run by a group of nations.
on Dec 16th, 2007 at 12:05
Neither is this one, Steven. RNW is not a nation, it is an independent publicy-funded broadcaster. You don’t seem to comprehend the difference between a state broadcaster and a public broadcaster, which is surprising for someone who has been listening to RNW as long as you have.
Yes, of course the station is likely to be listened to mainly by people who are pro EU, that’s obvious. In the same way, if you don’t like football, you don’t listen to football commentaries. Of course, when the website is up and running in the middle of next year, you’ll be very welcome to make use of it to express your anti-EU views to a wider audience than you have here.
I guess your beef with this project is that because you don’t approve of it, you don’t want your money being spent on it. But given that the total population of the EU is around 500 million, and the grant to the European Radio Project is 5.8 million euro a year, that works out a little over 1 euro cent per year for each citizen. Hardly worth going on the streets to complain about, is it?
on Dec 16th, 2007 at 17:50
Andy, I realised straight after sending the message that I made a mistake. I should have said that radio stations are not normally run by broadcasters from a group of nations. Of course I know that RNW is not directly controlled by the Dutch government.
As for radio, it has been one of my greatest interests since I was in single figure ages and finally, in respect of the EU, it is becoming more and more unpopular by the day here and I find it difficult to find anyone where I live who wants to stay in, so I am no anti-Europe fanatic; just typical in this one respect. Neither is it the money that matters; it is the pandering to the wishes of the EC with a project which makes the EU closer to becoming one country.
Still, let us not fall out over this one. Your weblog is brilliant. It always astounds me how you manage to find out and write so much so well. It is an invaluable source of information and ideal for me with my interest in the Netherlands, Dutch radio and radio and electronics in general. Also, I usually agree with your views.
Thanks for the weblog; it is appreciated and keep up the good work.