Radio Netherlands Fate to be Announced Shortly

We'll probably find out very soon the fate of Radio Netherlands, Holland's external public broadcasting service. Looks to me like VVD and CDA are simply following the script set out in a very old and expensive 2003 McKinsey report which suggested turning the place into a "freedom station reaching difficult places". That would mean keeping the Caribbean department and a few language services to areas of Africa, Indonesia and maybe Latin America.

I see that the Dutch government website which used to host the report has taken it down. So, seeing as it has been in the public domain for so long, I'll put it back on the Interwebs. It's in Dutch. But if you're interested in the thinking about Radio Netherlands you only need to look at the three pages below. They concluded that up to 29 million Euro could be saved on the budget (in 2001) of 48 million Euro. A few months later a letter from the Raad voor Cultuur (The Dutch Arts Council) drew similar conclusions on Page 20 but suggested a phase out of activities.

The current budget of RNW is 49 million Euro according to the 2010 Annual report, though on Tuesday RNW issued a report suggesting its annual budget should be 36 million Euro.

Commercial network RTL reported later the same day that its sources in the Dutch cabinet say the announced budget will be more like 10 million Euro, which suggests to me that someone's been photocopying the old McKinsey Report. Not long now.

Marks on Mechanics - Encore Presentation

In 1993 I made a summer series of five 30 minute programmes on the history of recorded sound. The series was inspired by a visit to the Museum in Utrecht, which then was called From Singing Tower to Street Organs. The museum is still there. I then discovered people who were collecting pianolas, gramophones, phonographs and jukeboxes. Of course, it wasn't just the devices. It was the stories that went with them. I've re-released them here as high quality MP3's.

Although not a Media Network show, I have had requests from people to put these documentaries into the collection, since they have a connection with communications. This first programme looks at all kinds of clocks that perform melodies. Another one all this week to complete the series. Enjoy.

World Class in Amsterdam

 

Went to most of Wireless Stories final presentation in Amsterdam and saw a couple of first class ideas. Hope they get the right coaching to take them into a world class category. That's always the problem in small countries.

Social Media broadens to become "Open" or "Public" Media

Surprised this video from Friday 20th May from the Social Media Summit at BBC College of Journalism has had so few views. Perhaps its because it hasn't been embedded yet? Lively debate followed by some excellent closing remarks from Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger. As social media tools integrate into the work pattern of some journalists and reporters, so we start to move towards a more open media. Its clear that news is no longer just a series of finished reports, but a stream of curated stories, a process rather than a product.

Curation Heaven

It is fantastic that people are looking into the new breed of curation tools for those making topical stories. Robin Good is better than Good. He's great. Have been waiting for this curated collection of curation tools for more than a decade. very pleased with Pearltrees, once you get the hang of it.

Media Network vintage wine 30 years later

I can highly recommend this 3-rings Shiraz from the Barossa Valley, South Australia. 3 Rings is a joint venture between Dan Philips, David Hickinbotham and winemaker Chris Ringland, the wine comes from several old vine vineyards and is blended beautifully by Chris Ringland. What a find that was! Chris Ringland is indeed a magician when it comes to creating a memorable wine. Opened it to celebrate the 30th anniversary since the start of Media Network in May 1981. See the entry below.

[Media Network Vintage Vault]]

[Media Network Vintage Vault]]: "It is 30 years since Media Network was launched as the name of the media show on Radio Netherlands, building on the rich heritage of programmes that went before it. We ran on the wireless from May 7th 1981 until October 2000 with more than 1000 editions. Many of the features are gradually making their way onto a podcast website as a celebration of international broadcasting's second Golden Age. Join me in raising a glass to the great days of analogue adventures."

What the Social Business Professional Gets Paid [Infographic]

What the Social Business Professional Gets Paid [Infographic]

Interesting post. Europe has a long way to go to get this far. Social media is still a department not a culture.

YouTube - Flying Steps - Flying Bach (live ESC 2011)

YouTube - Flying Steps - Flying Bach (live ESC 2011): ""

One of the better performances at the Eurovision Song Contest. For the others I pressed the ESC button on my computer.

Solar Impulse

Enjoyed the landing of the world's first solar power plane in Brussels this evening. Wished some of the interviews had been less about the event and more about the plane. I thought they would bring the plane into the hangar, but instead the pilot arrived in a car.

NHK Radio Japan Fail

Sorry, but my award for the most confusing newscast in recent history goes to NHK Radio Japan with Michele Yamamoto and Keith McFarland Thursday 21hrs JST. We hear that water may be leaking in the number one reactor at Fukushima Nuclear due to a faulty gauge and that rods have been exposed to the air according to Tokyo Electric Power. Only 1/3rd of the nuclear reactors are operating. No analysis. No clue what this means. Should other countries be worried? Why is NHK Radio Japan doing such a poor job at a time when the reputation of the entire nation is on the line?? It looks to me as though they are pouring money into the TV side and starving the radio of resources that makes it so poor as to be a waste of energy.

An alternative for Kenya’s HIV patients – or a health scandal?

An alternative for Kenya’s HIV patients – or a health scandal?

Impressed by the work of the Bureau. Its what a lot of international broadcasters should be doing but get tangled up in the politics of it all.

Some knew of Bin Laden's Villa Years Ago

In 2088 CNN journalist (at the time) Christiane Amanour said he was living in a nice villa in Pakistan. So how come it took the CIA 3 years to follow up on the lead?

Radio Bootcamp

I get the impression most of the grass-roots work on the future of radio is happening in Germany these days at events like this one coming up later in May. They have realised that it is essential to ensure that radio remains part of the navigation and entertainment system, especially as people like Spotify have announced download services for those who take out a premium subscription (no I don't quite understand that move either). They and I believe radio has a hybrid future, but the window of opportunity is quite small to remain successful. We don't want another DRM Fiasco.

So where's the media center of New York?

 In my traditional broadcasting days I always wanted to visit the Museum of Broadcasting at the Paley Center just off 5th Avenue. Just got a chance to visit it - and was thoroughly disappointed. The poster on the wall said that good content lasts for every. But the displays in the entrance were very 1999 for me. It has all the air of the past century, but not the past decade or the present. They claim to be leading todays media conversation. But it just seemed to be a venue to hold media related events like TED. The center for the modern media is further up road on the edge of Central Park....the Apple Store. Talk about a buzz. First time I have bought accessories for a device I don't yet own...the iPad2. Sold out except for the silly 3G version. Great to meet store staff who know what they're talking about. Except they won't discuss future products like Final Cut X. Open 24 hrs, though I'm not sure I'd like to be around there at 3 am in the morning. NYC is a lot safer than it used to be, but still.

Time Corner, New York

 You've heard of Times Square in New York. Saw this world time clock fest just off Madison Avenue. Wonder if they keep in accurate? Didn't have time to check. Will do it later.

Dish of the Day

 Let's watch TV, but not by the side of the road. So how is DISH doing these days? Actually not too badly since they settled a lawsuit with TIVO. 

The Path to the Brain

The sun's reflection messes up my attempts to photograph this sign. It doesn't really do justice to the message. Get into the mind of your target group with Sanoma Media. The Finnish publishing house has just rebranded to become Sanoma Media and they really do understand that the audience is the product. Their heart still lies in paper, but they are building some exciting transmedia properties. Saw this sign in Utrecht, The Netherlands on my way to the Festival of Games.

Curious branding: EeenVandaag

 I wonder how many people know that this is a TV current affairs programme produced by Dutch public broadcasters AVRO and TROS? If you live in the Netherlands, you and I are directly financing what they do out of direct taxation. The climate in the Netherlands at the moment seems to be very against public service broadcasting. May be that's the reason the outside broadcast van makes no mention of public broadcasting. EenVandaag is the product. Not the network. Not the production house. Not the audience. In the crowded world of brands, this makes them very vulnerable (especially since they started as Tweevandaag when they were on the 2nd Dutch national TV channel. The website is interesting. In Dutch, it's polished, it's finished and so doesn't really invite you to interact. You're invited to watch others perform. I'm not sure what they are trying to do with the page in English, entitled Instructions for the Website. Who is the audience for that?

Hilversum enters Creative Collapse

With the recent acquisition by Sanoma Media and a group of investors including John de Mol of  Pro-Sieben's channels in Holland (SBS6, NET5, Veronica), I think the future of Hilversum as a creative capital is becoming rather bleak. It may simply become the place where great productions are archived. It is no longer where the great ideas are born.

All the great emerging media experiments are happening in small start-ups in Amsterdam (some too in Rotterdam), as well as in the new entertainment studios de Mol has built near the Amsterdam Arena. They don't need the Media Park in Hilversum, which has always been a nightmare to reach in rush hours. Massive cuts to public broadcasting, without a clear path forward, means everyone is creeping into cocoons hoping they won't get hit when some of plan of action is announced in the summer. The public broadcasting sector in the Netherlands, fraught with fragmentation, has regressed into very nasty squabbles about quality and reach when no-one has defined what these terms mean. Believe me, you don't want to be working in Hilversum at the moment. I have never seen it so void of creative inspiration. With the exodus of some of the brighter brains to Amsterdam, all that is left is a collection of buildings (some inspiring like the VPRO building and the Sound and Vision centre) but most of them are drab offices where moving up in the hierarchy means you get a larger office.

The commercial sector, on the other hand, is blossoming. They understand that, for them, the public is the product. They deliver demographics to advertisers and, despite the social media hype, the agencies are still willing to pay top dollar for access to these (potential) clients. No news there, except they are doing it rather than just talking about it. They're investing millions in trying to understand how audiences want to be entertained. When will the public sector realise that their job is different?