VRT (broadcaster)

Last updated

Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie
Type Terrestrial radio, television and online news portal
Country
Availability
Headquarters Reyers Tower  [ fr; nl ], Brussels, Belgium
Owner Flemish Community
Launch date
  • 1930;95 years ago (1930) (radio)
  • 1953;72 years ago (1953) (television)
Former names
  • NIR (1930–1960)
  • BRT (1960–1991)
  • BRTN (1991–1998)
Official website
vrt.be

The Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie ("Flemish Radio and Television broadcasting organisation"), shortened to VRT (Dutch: [ˌveːjɛrˈteː] ), is one of the national public service broadcasters for the Flemish Community of Belgium. Its counterpart in the French Community is the French-language RTBF (Radio-télévision belge de la Communauté française), and in the German-speaking Community it is BRF (Belgischer Rundfunk).

Contents

The VRT operates six television channels ( VRT 1 , VRT Canvas , Ketnet , Sporza , VRT NWS and VRT MAX) together with a number of radio channels, including Radio 1 , Radio 2 , Klara , Studio Brussel , and MNM .

History

The communications tower at the VRT's headquarters in Brussels, the Reyers Tower Communications tower in Brussels Redvers.jpg
The communications tower at the VRT's headquarters in Brussels, the Reyers Tower

The VRT is the successor to a succession of organisations. The Belgian National Institute of Radio Broadcasting was founded in 1930 and existed until 1960. This became the Belgische Radio- en Televisieomroep (BRT) in 1960 and the Belgische Radio- en Televisieomroep Nederlandstalige Uitzendingen (BRTN) from 1991 to 1998.[ citation needed ]

The NIR/INR and BRT (French : Radio-Télévision Belge; RTB) had each been single state-owned entities with separate Dutch- and French-language production departments. They were housed in the Flagey Building, also known as the Radio House, from when the new building was completed in 1938 until 1974 when the building became too small. [1] [2] However, in 1977, as part of the ongoing state reform in Belgium broadcasting became reserved to the language communities rather than the national government in 1977. Accordingly, BRT/RTB went their separate ways in 1977. While the former French half changed its name to RTBF in 1977, the Dutch side retained the BRT name until becoming BRTN in 1991. However, the two broadcasters share production facilities on Auguste Reyerslaan in Brussels.[ citation needed ]

The final renaming of the VRT, on 1 January 1998, followed a change in the organization's legal status. From being part of a semi-governmental entity (a parastatale in Belgian terminology) it had, on 16 April 1997, become a publicly owned corporation (NV van publiek recht) in its own right.[ citation needed ]

As successors to the NIR/INR, the VRT and its counterpart in the French Community of Belgium, RTBF, share the Belgian membership in the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). Along with RTBF, it is one of the 23 founding members.

With the ending of its television monopoly – marked by the creation of VTM, a commercial television company that initially captured more than half of the VRT's audience – the public broadcaster has been compelled to fight back, and part of its successful response has been the use of external production houses such as Woestijnvis, the creator of such formats as De mol and Man bijt hond .[ citation needed ]

Editorial independence

As of August 2024, the Media and Journalism Research Center evaluated the VRT to be "Independent State Funded and State Managed/Owned Media" under its State Media Matrix. [3] [4]

Television channels

Television channels are transmitted on: [5]

Current channels

The VRT's third television channel, known as VRT3  [ fr ], was launched in May 2012. It is not a full-fledged television channel because it has no name, identity or logo. It broadcasts programs from the above channels in a shared schedule under the respective titles "Één+" and "Canvas+".

Former channels

TV2 logo (1994-1997) BRTN TV2-logo.svg
TV2 logo (1994–1997)

Radio channels

The VRT broadcasts radio channels in both analog format (FM) and digital format (using DAB+). All channels are also broadcast live over the Internet at Radio Plus. International broadcasting was done via the VRT's Radio Vlaanderen Internationaal (RVi).

Regular channels

Digital and streaming-only channels

Streaming-only channels

TMC

They also have a Traffic message channel (TMC) service transmitted on VRT Radio2.

Logo history

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest</span>

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 for the French-speaking Community of Belgium. Its counterpart in the Flemish Community is the Dutch-language VRT, and in the German-speaking Community it is BRF.

Radio Vlaanderen Internationaal, was the international broadcasting service of Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroep (VRT), the public broadcaster of the Flemish community in Belgium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VTM (TV channel)</span> Belgian Dutch-speaking commercial TV station

VTM or Vlaamse Televisie Maatschappij is the main commercial television station in Flanders and forms part of a network of channels owned by DPG Media.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VRT 1</span> Belgian Dutch-language TV channel

VRT 1 is a public Dutch-language TV station in Belgium, owned by the VRT, which also owns Ketnet, VRT Canvas and several radio stations. Although the channel is commercial-free, short sponsorship messages are broadcast in between some programmes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Studio Brussel</span> Radio station in Belgium

Studio Brussel is a Dutch-speaking radio station in Belgium, owned by the VRT. The music played is considered more alternative than the other big radio stations, and is aimed mainly at a youth audience. The channel is an initiative of the Flemish Government and is financed principally by taxes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NPO 3</span> Dutch terrestrial television channel

NPO 3 is the third and youngest of the terrestrial television channels operated by the Dutch public-broadcasting organization NPO in the Netherlands. It carries programmes provided by member-based non-profit broadcasting associations and is oriented towards children, youth, and innovative television. The channel is also available on cable companies in its overseas dependencies in the Caribbean, either live or time-shifted.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BVN</span> Dutch international television station

BVN, is a Dutch free-to-air television channel providing Dutch public television to viewers around the world. It is a service of the public broadcasting company of the Netherlands, Nederlandse Publieke Omroep (NPO).

Belgischer Rundfunk (BRF) 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belgium in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest</span>

Belgium competed in every Junior Eurovision Song Contest before withdrawing in 2013. The country's best result was in 2009, when Laura Omloop came 4th with "Zo verliefd". Belgium's worst result was in 2007, with Trust coming 15th with "Anders".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VRT Canvas</span> Belgian Dutch-language TV channel

VRT Canvas is a Belgian television channel of the Flemish public broadcasting organisation Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie (VRT). Specialising in both original and adaptations from western Europe and North America, the channel offers: in-depth news and current affairs, non-mainstream entertainment, documentaries, arthouse films, other cultural programming, and most recently additional children's programming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ketnet</span> Belgian childrens television channel

Ketnet is a Dutch-language public children's television channel in Belgium owned and operated by the VRT, Flemish public broadcaster. It broadcasts a mix of locally produced and imported productions on the VRT3 channel from 6 am until 8 pm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La Une</span> Belgian French-language television channel

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.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Radio 1 (Belgium)</span> Flemish radio station

Radio 1 is a Belgian radio channel operated by the Flemish public broadcaster Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroep (VRT).

Radio2 is a Belgian radio channel operated by the Flemish public broadcaster Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroep (VRT).

The mass media in Belgium is characterized by its diversity due to the linguistic divide in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OP12</span> Flemish television channel

OP12 was the third channel of Belgium's VRT that featured evening broadcasts. The channel was launched on 14 May 2012 and closed on 31 December 2014. The channel's name was derived from the digital channel number that the station was assigned on most digital television platforms.

This article covers the radio landscape in Flanders and Brussels, the Dutch-speaking region of Belgium known as the Flemish Community.

Belgium will be represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025, which will be held in Basel, Switzerland. The Belgian participating broadcaster, Flemish Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie (VRT), will organise the national final Eurosong2025 in order to select its entry for the contest.

References

  1. "Le Flagey, the former Maison de la Radio". Brussels Life. 5 July 2012. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  2. "The Flagey Building". Flagey. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  3. "VRT". State Media Monitor. Media and Journalism Research Center. 5 August 2024. Retrieved 20 January 2025.
  4. "Typology". State Media Monitor. Media and Journalism Research Center. 25 May 2022. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
  5. "VRT in het buitenland" [VRT abroad] (in Dutch). VRT.
  6. "VRT stopt eind dit jaar met uitzenden via DVB-T" [VRT will stop broadcasting via DVB-T at the end of this year] (in Dutch). VRT News. 17 May 2018.
  7. "VRT blijft via de ether uitzenden" [[UPDATE] VRT continues to broadcast over the air] (in Dutch). Total TV. 10 July 2018.
  8. "OP12". VRT. Archived from the original on 3 June 2016. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  9. "Séquence nostalgie: l'oreille de Michel Olyff disparaît du paysage audiovisuel belge…". Telepro.be. 23 June 2015.
  10. BRT TV1 logo + Weerbericht (07.01.1979) on YouTube