Belgium

Broadcasters in Belgium

Broadcasting in Belgium is organized by languange for the dutch (Flanders), french (Wallonia) and german speaking communities. Flanders, comprises the following broadcasting entities : • VRT (Vlaamse Radio en Televisie) is the official state broadcaster • VMMa (Vlaamse Media Maatschappij) is the main commercial broadcaster • SBS Belgium (Scandinavian Broadcasting System) is the second commercial broadcaster these are complemented by a variety of smaller companies, the largest being Media at Infinitum (lifestyle programmes), and a bunch of regional stations, then there are the distributors : telenet for cable, Belgacom for IP-TV and TV Vlaanderen for satellite. Over to Wallonia, they have the following broadcasters : • RTBF (Radio Télévision Belge de la communauté Française) is the official state broadcaster • CLT (Compagnie Luxembourgeoise de Télévision) is the main commercial broadcaster • Be TV is the second commercial broadcaster • AB Group (Antenne Belge) is the third commercial broadcaster These too are complemented by a variety of smaller broadcasters and then there’s the distributors : VOO (cable), Belgacom (IP-TV), téléSat (satellite) amoungst others. In contrast, the german speaking community seems poorly served with only one broadcaster : • BRF (Belgischer Rundfunk) which actually started as a division within the official RTBF state broadcaster. But then again, this region is too small to sustain any more broadcasters, and is well served by all of the German official and commercial broadcasters which can be received directly in this region. Thanks to Jean Claude Tackaert for supplying the information for this section.

Broadcasters in Flanders

VRT (Vlaamse Radio en Televisie) this is the official state broadcaster for the dutch speaking community in Belgium. Founded in 1930 it started off with the name “NIR” (Nationaal Instituur voor de Radio) and changed its name to “BRT” (Belgische Radio en Televisie) in 1960 after starting up television transmissions in 1953. Actually, until 1977 the “BRT” and “RTB” were 2 divisions of the same state company. In 1991 the name was changed to “BRTN” (Belgische Radio en Televisie Nederlandstalige uitzendingen), to be changed again in 1998, adopting it’s current name “VRT”. VRT currently broadcasts the following channels : • radio : “radio 1” (informative), “radio 2” (entertainment), “Klara” (classical music), “NMN” (popular), “Studio Brussel” (youth) • television : main channels are “één” and “canvas”. secundary channels are “ketnet” (children) and “sporza” (sports). Note however that “canvas”, “ketnet” and “sporza” share the same tv channel. • in HD : “één HD” • digital offsprings : “radio 1 Classics”, “radio 2 de topcollectie”, “Klara continuo”, “Klara jazz”, “Sporza radio”, “nieuws+”, “NMN hits”, “Studio Brussel Rock It!” (radio) and “één+”, “canvas+”, “ketnet+” (television) • interactive : net gemist, ooit gemist • worldwide : “RVi” (Radio Vlaanderen Internationaal) and “BVN” (Beste van Vlaanderen en Nederland) which is co-produced with the Dutch public broadcasters “PO” (Publieke Omroepen) VMMa (Vlaamse Media Maatschappij) – this is the first commercial broadcaster for Flanders, composed mainly of newspaper publishers in Flanders. Breaching the monopoly of the BRTN state broadcaster in February 1, 1989, they are celebrtating their 20th anniversary this year. They had to wait until 2001 before they were allowed to breach the state broadcaster’s national radio monopoly as well, although it must be said that at that time the country was flooded with local radio stations, some of whom had allready formed national networks with the support of VMMa. VMMa currently broadcasts the following channels : • radio : “Qmusic”, “4fm” • television : main channels are “vtm” and “2be” (old name : “Kanaal 2”). secundary channels are “JIM-tv” (youth) • digital offspring : “radio bambam” (children’s radio), “VTM zomer”, “VTM kerst” (television) • in HD : “vtm HD” • interactive : iWatch SBS Belgium (Scandinavian Broadcasting System) – this became the second commercial broadcaster in Flanders. SBS is an international broadcaster with channels all over Europe, which was bought up in 2007 by the German ProSiebenSat.1 Media group SBS currently broadcasts the following channels : • television : main channels are “vt4” and “vijf-tv” • in HD : “vt4 HD” • interactive : cMore Media at Infinitum is one of the smaller broadcasters, mainly focussing on “lifestyle” programmes, currently broadcasts the following channels : • television : “Vitaya” and “Vitaliteit” Regional broadcasters: regional programming made its entrance in 1993. Current regional channels are “Ring-TV”, “ROB TV”, “TV Brussel”, “ATV”, “RTV”, “WTV-Focus”, “AVS”, “TVL” and “TV Oost”. Most of these channels carry a limited programme which is repeated round-the-clock. Telenet started off as a cable distributor, servicing most (if not all) of the cable networks in Flanders (having recently acquired it’s main rival Indi), it also bought the Flemish movie channels of Canal+ when they sold off in 2005. Rebranded as “PRIME”, telenet users have exclusive access to the following pay-tv channels : • entertainment : “PRIME Action”, “PRIME Star”, “PRIME Family”, “PRIME fezztival”, “PRIME Series” • sport : “PRIME Sport”, “PRIME Sport 2”, Belgacom beginning it’s life in 1930 as “RTT” (Regie voor Telefonie en Telegraphie), this is the national telephone company of Belgium, which launched an IP-TV (television using internet) service in 2005. H

Broadcasters in Wallonia —

RTBF (Radio Télévision Belge de la communauté Française) is the official state broadcaster for the french speaking community in Belgium. Founded in 1930 it started of with the name “INR” (Institut National du Radio) and changed its name to “RTB” (Radio Télévision Belge) in 1960, after starting television transmissions in 1953. Actually, “BRT” and “RTB” were 2 divisions of the same state company. When these divisions became independent in 1977 the name was changed to it’s current name “RTBF”. RTBF currently broadcasts the following channels : • radio : “prem1ére” (informative), “VivaCité” (local), “Musiq’3” (classical music), “Classic 21” (classic rock), “Pure FM” (youth) • television : main channels are “la une” and “la deux”. secundary channels are “la trois”, “la deuj” (children), “sport 21” (sports) and “arte Belgique” (cultural). • digital offsprings : “Franco’Sphere”, “VivaCité en Concert”, “VivaHits”, “Musiq’3 Babel”, “Classic 60’s”, “Classic 80’s”, “Rock à Pompon”, “Francosonik”, “Street” and “Saint Valentin” • worldwide : “RTBF International” (radio), “TV5” (common channel of all french speaking countries) and “RTBF Sat” CLT (Compagnie Luxembourgeoise de Télévision) when the state television monopaly was breached in 1987, the commercial licence went to a subsidiary of CLT Luxemburg, called “TVi” (Télévision indépendente). CLT is also the owner of RTL (Radio Télévision Luxembourgeoise), so it didn’t take long befor the channel was called “RTL-TVi”. CLT currently broadcasts the following channels : • radio : “radio Contact”, “Bel RTL”, “Radio H” • television : main channels are “RTL-TVI” and “Club RTL”. secundary channels are “plug tv” (youth) Be TV – when Vivaldi Universial put their “Canal+ Benelux” holding for sale in 2005, it was split into 3 different parts (Holland, Flanders & Wallonia). In Wallonia the nam was changed to “Be TV”, but the nature of the channels remained unchanged, giving cable viewers access to the following pay-ty channels : • entertainment : “Be 1”, “Be 1 16:9”, “Bé Ciné”, “Bé Séries” • sport : “Bé Sport 1”, “Bé Sport 2”, “Bé Sport 3” • AB Group (Antenne Belge) In 1995, a company called “Youth Television” filed a request with the Walloon government to start a new channel “Youth Channel Television”. It took until 2001 before a licence was acquired, at which point the company was integrated with the French-owned “AB Production” company which already transmitted the “AB1” and “NT1” channels in France. There also seems to be a connection with “Bis Télévisions”, another attempt to break the RTBF/CLT monopoly in Wallonia, but the whole story is rather confusing. Anyhow, the Belgian department was called “AB Group” which now broadcasts the “AB3” and “AB4” television channels. Belgacom beginning it’s life in 1930 as “RTT” (Régie pour la Téléphonie et le Télégraphe), this is the national telephone company of Belgium, which launched an IP-TV (television using internet) service in 2005. Having acquired sole rights to the Belgian football competition, it also makes an exclusive football channel “11”, available to IP-TV clients only. This is NOT the same channel as in Flanders, even if it carries the same name (or number ?). Regional broadcasters are around in Wallonia, but all we know of is “Télé Bruxelles”.

Eastern Counties

BRF (Belgischer Rundfunk) – this is the official state broadcaster for the German speaking community in Belgium. The first radio broadcasts for the german-speaking region of Eupen (which was annexed after the 1st world war) started in 1945, at the end of the 2nd world war, operated by a division of the RTBF. — In 1977, when the official state broadcaster was split into it’s regional entities, the german language division of the RTBF became the current BRF, with headquarters in Eupen. (sidenote: VRT and RTBF still co-inhabit the same building in Brussels, even if all divisions are completely split). Television broadcasts were added in 1999, consisting mainly of news and local entertainment. BRF currently broadcasts the following channels : • radio : “BRF 1”, “BRF 2”, “BFR DLF” (in co-operation with Germany’s DeutschlandFunk) and “Das Hitradio 100.5” • television : “BRF-TV” (news & local entertainment)