RNW Classical - The Secret Radio Station that Refuses to Die

Radio Netherlands Music department built a classical online station to showcase its excellent recordings of amongst others the Netherlands Concertgebouw orchestra. And, along with the other radio service, it announced its demise in May 2012.

Actually it's still on the air.

Although they have removed the player from the Radio Netherlands website, the shoutcast stream is still playing away 24 hrs a day. It's weird to hear Jackie Spears announcing other networks that have long since signed off. Since they use a high sampling rate of 192 kb/sec, it sounds superb on my hif- set, assuming you like classical music. I see the stats on the Shoutcast site show 10 simultaneous listeners this Sunday afternoon. Here's the direct link to the stream while it lasts. But since the people who set it up have all now left the building in Hilversum, it will be some guy in IT who probably pulls the switch in the end.

Actually, the expertise that RNW built up in classical music recording was world-class. Here are some photos I made in 2001. They had to hang their own microphones in the space of 90 minutes. Engineer Rob Heerschop (pictured) still has some of the finest recording skills in Western Europe.

Hanging the Mikes in the Concertgebouw main concert hall

Royal Concertgebouw Concert Hall in the heart of Amsterdam

Ghost Radio: Playing to an audience of one?

Adding mikes to the Amsterdam Concertgebouw in 2001

 I have found my own personal classical music station. 

RNW announced that it was closing the RNW Classical channel at the end of May 2012. But it is July 28th and it is still there...playing nonstop classical music into cyberspace. Jackie Spears is presenting it here. It's the station they forgot to switch off. The promos for other programmes in 10 languages is rather eery, as most have now gone away. But it's a rather pleasant selection while it lasts. I guess someone will simply yank it off the air, so don't expect a formal closedown.