Type | Radio and television |
---|---|
Country | |
Availability | Regional |
Owner | German Community of Belgium |
Launch date | 1977 |
Official website | http://www.brf.be |
Belgischer Rundfunk (BRF) (Belgian Broadcasting) is the public-service broadcasting organisation serving the German-speaking Community of Belgium. Its headquarters are based in Eupen. With additional studio facilities in Sankt Vith and Brussels, BRF produces one television and three radio channels.
German-language broadcasts were first started in Brussels by the Nationaal Instituut voor Radio Omroep / Institut National de Radiodiffusion (NIR/INR) on 1 October 1945. In 1960, the NIR/INR became Belgische Radio en Televisie / Radio-Télévision Belge (BRT/RTB) and in 1961 RTB began a German-language radio channel, broadcasting from Liège.
In 1977, the German-language service was separated from RTB – which became Radio-Télévision Belge de la Communauté française (RTBF) – and BRT, which in 1990s became Vlaamse radio en televisie (VRT) - and the new company, Belgischer Rundfunk, began broadcasting from Eupen. For some years afterward, it continued to use BRT/RTB's old stylised "ear" logo long after its French and Flemish sisters dropped it.
In October 1999 BRF-TV was created; it broadcasts by cable in the East Cantons. On 15 November 2001, BRF and Deutschlandfunk Cologne began BRF-DLF, a radio station in Brussels for German-speakers in that area.
The iconic "ear" logo designed by Michel Olyff (seen to the right) was withdrawn on 22 June 2015, long after the Flemish and Walloon counterparts removed it. The current logo is limited to the extant wordmark. [1]
The group participates in two more projects:
The Eurovision Song Contest 1987 was the 32nd edition of the annual Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Brussels, Belgium, following the country's victory at the 1986 contest with the song "J'aime la vie" by Sandra Kim. Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcaster Radio-télévision belge de la Communauté française (RTBF), the contest was held at the Centenary Palace on 9 May 1987 and hosted by French-Belgian singer Viktor Lazlo.
Belgium has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 65 times since making its debut as one of seven countries at the first contest in 1956. The only countries with more appearances are Germany (67), France (66) and the United Kingdom (66). Belgium have been absent only three times in total, in 1994, 1997, and 2001, due to low scores in the previous contests that relegated them from the contest. Belgium has won the contest once, in 1986.
The Radio-télévision belge de la Communauté française, shortened to RTBF, is a public service broadcaster delivering radio and television services to the French-speaking Community of Belgium, in Wallonia and Brussels. Its counterpart in the Flemish Community is the Dutch-language VRT, and in the German-speaking Community it is BRF.
ARD is a joint organisation of Germany's regional public-service broadcasters. It was founded in 1950 in West Germany to represent the common interests of the new, decentralised, post-war broadcasting services – in particular the introduction of a joint television network.
The VRT is the national public service broadcaster for the Flemish Community of Belgium.
Deutschlandfunk is a public-broadcasting radio station in Germany, concentrating on news and current affairs. It is one of the four national radio channels produced by Deutschlandradio.
Once Upon a Time... The Americas is an educational animated television series created and directed by Albert Barillé. It is the fourth series in the Once Upon a Time... franchise. It explains the history of the Americas in a format adapted for children, with the action focused around one group of characters which appear in every episode dealing with the problems of the period depicted.
La Une is a Belgian national television channel, owned and operated by the French-language public-service broadcasting organization RTBF. La Une is the equivalent of Flemish station VRT 1, of the Flemish broadcaster VRT.
Tipik is a Belgian national television channel, owned and operated by the French-language public-service broadcasting organization RTBF.
Television in Belgium was introduced in 1953 and began with one channel each in Dutch and French. The country is heavily cabled, with 93% of households watching television through cable as of 2003.
Belgium was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 1986 with the song "J'aime la vie", composed by Jean-Paul Furnémont and Angelo Crisci, with lyrics by Rosario Marino Atria, and performed by Sandra Kim. The Belgian participating broadcaster, Walloon Radio Télévision Belge de la Communauté Française (RTBF), selected its entry through a national final. The entry eventually won the Eurovision Song Contest as the first-ever victory for Belgium in the contest.
BRF TV is a German-language television channel in Belgium.
Belgium was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 1956 with two songs: "Messieurs les noyés de la Seine", composed by Jean Miret and Jack Say, with lyrics by Robert Montal, and performed by Fud Leclerc; and "Le Plus Beau Jour de ma vie", composed by Claude Alix, with lyrics by David Bée, and performed by Mony Marc. The Belgian participating broadcaster, the Institut national belge de radiodiffusion (INR), organised a national final to determine its two entries for the contest. "Messieurs les noyés de la Seine" was the first-ever entry from Belgium performed in the Eurovision Song Contest, and the first-ever entry in French in the contest.
Belgium was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 1987 with the song "Soldiers of Love", written by Gyuri Spies, Marc de Coen, and Liliane Saint-Pierre, and performed by Saint-Pierre herself. The Belgian participating broadcaster, Flemish Belgische Radio- en Televisieomroep (BRT), selected its entry through a national final. In addition, Walloon Radio-télévision belge de la Communauté française (RTBF) was the host broadcaster and staged the event at the Centenary Palace in Brussels, after winning the previous edition with the song "J'aime la vie" by Sandra Kim.
Belgium participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2000 with the song "Envie de vivre" written by Silvio Pezzuto. The song was performed by Nathalie Sorce. The Belgian entry for the 2000 contest in Stockholm, Sweden was selected through the national final Finale Nationale Concours Eurovision de la Chanson 2000, organised by the Walloon broadcaster Radio Télévision Belge de la Communauté Française (RTBF). In the final on 18 February 2000 which featured ten competing entries, "Envie de vivre" performed by Nathalie Sorce was selected as the winner solely by public televoting, receiving 21,362 votes.
Belgium was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 1984 with the song "Avantila vie", composed by Henri Seroka, with lyrics by Jacques Zegers, and performed by Zegers himself. The Belgian participating broadcaster, Walloon Radio Télévision Belge de la Communauté Française (RTBF), selected its entry through a national final.
The mass media in Belgium is characterized by its diversity due to the linguistic divide in the country.
Pure was a Belgian public radio station created in 2004, focused on music genres such as pop, rock, hip hop, contemporary R&B, and electronic. It is operated by the Radio télévision belge de la communauté française (RTBF). Pure is the French language equivalent of the Flemish Studio Brussel.
BRF1 is the first national radio station for the German community of Belgium, owned by Belgischer Rundfunk.