The closedown of Radio Netherlands Dutch language radio service on May 11th was a fitting tribute to a job well done. Having studied the station's history several times for various anniversaries and specials, I came to the conclusion that despite being only a shadow of much larger operations like BBC World Service, VOA or Deutsche Welle, the station managed to punch well above it weight.
The station PCJJ which preceded it was set up as a commercial venture - Philips couldn't sell radios in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) if there was nothing to listen to. And the discovery that was a propagation path at certain times of the day between Holland and Indonesia meant programmes on shortwave made sense. After the war, as Holland recovered from Nazi occupation, many Dutch emigrated to Australia, New Zealand, the US and Canada.
So I would argue that Radio Nederland Wereldomroep was probably one of the first social networks. It provided a way for Dutch speakers to keep in touch with the shared experiences of family and friends separated by distance. It was crude by today's standards, requiring quite a lot of energy to produce a crackly voice in a loudspeaker thousands of miles away. But it was a human voice. And that was one of the advantages of the programmes from Hilversum. They sounded like they were made by human beings rather than government officials. In the marathon 24 hour closedown transmission last week, they celebrated the people who had made RNW what it was, rather than the network itself. Dutch speakers abroad still have access to BVN satellite television and websites from domestic radio and TV stations as well as newspaper publishers and on-line news channels like nu.nl.
The perception by the general Dutch public now is that the Wereldomroep is no more. Indeed, Radio has gone, Nederlands has gone and as legislation is being changed, so the Wereldomroep (literally World broadcasting) will be taken out of the statute books.
From now on, Holland will only have public broadcasters on a local, regional and national level. I had hoped to hear a clear signal from RNW last Friday as to what will happen next. After all, 14 million Euro had been earmarked for some kind of external broadcasting activity as from January 1st next year. But the on-air debate broadcast in the final hour of the Dutch service was sadly the weakest link in the whole production. It was muddled, confusing and those arguing for stopping it altogether had jibes that quickly dominated. Definitely a case of the blind leading the blind and an important one-time opportunity missed.
Yes, there's a plan on how that 14 million Euro of public money could be spent. But it's not based on a clearly defined audience need in the same way that RNW was the answer back in 1947. It's politically driven piece rather like the lists that NHK Radio Japan used to get from the Japanese government - "Here is some money, you are commanded to broadcast so many hours a day to North Korea, etc. Do the best you can". Frankly, that's no way to run a modern media company. Never has been. Government make terrible programmes because they are interested in themselves not the audience - It's all about shouting a message above the noise, not listening to what people are saying from within.
Other NGOs in Holland are running radio stations into specific areas like Sudan, Somalia, Zimbabwe and Iran. They have focus and, at least in the case of Sudan, are filling a void that hasn't yet been filled by others. It's a project, so when the mission is over, it will evaporate. Success is driven and measured by audience need.
This all reminds me of that poster in the window of Bush House referring to BBC World Service - audiences are at the heart of everything we do. For RNW, that heart has stopped beating because everything it stood for has been removed. End of a era. Over and out. That leaves me with a huge respect for the past. But no hope for the future..at least not like this.
4 comments:
You are right Jonathan, sadly enough this radio history is closed....
I have a feeling that at some point RNW will go the way of Swiss Radio International, Radio Sweden and Radio Canada International. I'm wondering how they will target countries with no press freedom. Sure the internet is a good option, but when countries like Iran, Cuba and China can easily block sites how do they reach the audience. How can RNW compete with stations like Radio Australia in East/South East Asia/Pacific when RA has nearly 24 hour service to the region. Unlike Radio Canada International RNW has always for the most part done an excellent job at doing programs it's audience wants to listen to. One of favorites is Bridges To Africa. If this goes I will be very sad. I think RNW like other international broadcasters need to re-think what they do. For example the amount they charge to broker airtime. RCI's prices are just silly, the same for RNW. For the hours we have on HF I have found other sites that are more normal pricing. It's very depressing.
I have a feeling that at some point RNW will go the way of Swiss Radio International, Radio Sweden and Radio Canada International. I'm wondering how they will target countries with no press freedom. Sure the internet is a good option, but when countries like Iran, Cuba and China can easily block sites how do they reach the audience. How can RNW compete with stations like Radio Australia in East/South East Asia/Pacific when RA has nearly 24 hour service to the region. Unlike Radio Canada International RNW has always for the most part done an excellent job at doing programs it's audience wants to listen to. One of favorites is Bridges To Africa. If this goes I will be very sad. I think RNW like other international broadcasters need to re-think what they do. For example the amount they charge to broker airtime. RCI's prices are just silly, the same for RNW. For the hours we have on HF I have found other sites that are more normal pricing. It's very depressing.
Thank you for your insights, Jonathan, sad though your conclusion may be. Many of my colleagues at RNW would agree that our focus has gone, and at this point in time it's not clear at all where the new RNW will be going. Of course we all realised that Radio Netherlands would never have stayed the same forever, but the way it is being redirected is really a shot into the dark, however well-argued the ambitions are.
At least the RNW management have now agreed that targeting Cuba only makes sense when using a medium that is capable of reaching the target audience, i.e. shortwave radio. Internet and satellite radio are simply not available to the Cubans RNW would like to reach.
@PCJMedia (nice alias!): RNW's Anglophone and Francophone services to Africa will continue, focusing even more sharply on the under-30s, so Bridges With Africa is likely to continue in some form. Efforts are underway to keep the Love Matters websites and The State We're In radio show going, even though in their current form they are targeting 'the wrong areas'. Live at the Concertgebouw and the Eurohit-40 show are also working hard to find an independent future. All of these are successful formats and could be valuable to audiences in the new target areas and elsewhere.
On a personal note, I've enjoyed working for Radio Netherlands' English and Dutch services these past 16 years. It was my dream to work for a radio station, in international current affairs, and in English. My dream has come true, it's been made even better by the great colleagues I worked with, and I'm grateful for that. But radio has gone, reporting international current affairs is no longer seen as necessary, and the once famous English Department of RNW has been dismembered, and I have decided to leave off my own accord, rather than wait until being told to go.
I agree, RNW's heart has stopped beating because everything it stood for has been removed. It will take a long time for me and my colleagues, and for Radio Netherlands' listeners, to come to terms with that.
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