Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie

Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie

Type	Broadcast radio, television and online
Country	Belgium
Availability	Flemish Region Brussels
Launch date	1930 (radio) 1953 (television)
Former names	NIR (1930-1960), BRT (1960-1991), BRTN (1991-1998)
Official website	www.vrt.be

The communications tower at the headquarters of VRT / RTBF in Brussels.

The Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie (Flemish Radio and Television Network Organization), or VRT, is a publicly funded broadcaster of radio and television in Flanders (northern part of Belgium).

Between 1960 until 1991, VRT was called BRT (Belgische Radio- en Televisieomroep). It is the successor of NIR (Belgisch Nationaal Instituut voor Radio-omroep), which was responsible for radio and television broadcasts from 1930 (and since 1953 for TV) until 1960. Politicians thought the name was no longer appropriate. BRT was only broadcasting Dutch language programs whereas RTBF was only broadcasting French language programs. That is why in 1991 the name BRTN (Belgische Radio- en Televisieomroep Nederlandstalige Uitzendingen) was introduced. When the statute of BRTN changed in 1998 the name was changed to VRT.

Following the ending of the TV monopoly and the creation of VTM, this reorganisation changed the public broadcaster into a dynamic and powerful service that is currently (2009) the market leader. Part of this success is the use of external production houses such as Woestijnvis that created successful formats such as The Mole (De mol) and Man bijt hond.

Since 1950 VRT, together with its French counterpart RTBF, has been a joint member of the European Broadcasting Union. EBU is the European organisation of public broadcasters that also organises the Eurovision Song Contest.

Television channels

Television channels are transmitted on:

• Astra satellite on TV Vlaanderen Digitaal, an encrypted pay satellite service.
• Cable: analog and digital on all Belgian and Dutch cable providers;
• DSL lines through IPTV to Belgacom customers;
• Satellite free-to-air worldwide as a participant in the Dutch/Flemish BVN channel
• Terrestrial digital using DVB-T on UHF and VHF frequencies in Flanders.

Current channels

• Eén (Dutch for: one), the main channel, formerly known as VRT TV1. Started in 1953 on VHF channel 10. In PAL colour since 1971. In 1977 the transmission standard changed from Belgian 625 to European CCIR) standard.
• Ketnet, the children's channel
• Canvas, the quality TV channel
• Eén+, Ketnet+, Canvas+, Additional content, occasionally available, through digital cable (Ketnet+ and Canvas+ also via DVB-T).
• Eén HD broadcasting since the Summer Olympics of 2008 on most cable and satellite services throughout Flanders and the Netherlands.
• Canvas HD A HD-simulcast of Canvas.
• Ketnet HD A HD-simulcast of Ketnet

Ketnet and Canvas, as well as their HD version, share a single TV channel, VRT2 (Ketnet between 7am & 8pm and Canvas during all other hours). The channel, formerly known as BRTN TV2, began broadcasting in 1970.

Previous channels

• Sporza, the sports channel

Sporza was active as a separate channel during the summer of 2004, but has been removed from the air starting September 2004. Normal sports-programmes on the other channels now also carry the name Sporza due to the huge popularity of the channel. The radio station 927 Live for sports programmes is now called Sporza. The online sports-news also goes by the name Sporza.

• BRTN TV2 was launched on 1 March 1970 as BRT2. BRTN TV2 broadcast Terzake and Het Journaal 8 uur until Sunday, 30 November 1997. BRTN TV2 ceased transmission on Sunday, 30 November 1997. On Monday 1 December 1997, BRTN TV2 was split into two channels: BRTN Ketnet and BRTN Canvas. The two channels were part of BRTN until 1998 - Canvas and Ketnet are still broadcasting as part of VRT2.

Radio channels

The VRT broadcasts radio channels in both analog format (FM and AM) and digital format (using DAB and DVB-T). All channels are also broadcast live over the Internet.

International broadcasting is done via VRT's Radio Vlaanderen Internationaal (RVi).

Analog and digital

• Radio 1, news, information and cultural channel
• Radio 2, popular channel
• Klara, classical music channel (formerly Radio 3)
• Studio Brussel, young and alternative channel
• Sporza, sports (radio & TV) [Sporza Radio only on Radio 1]
• MNM, hit music (formerly radio Donna)
• Radio Vlaanderen Internationaal (RVi), the channel for foreign people in Belgium and for Belgian people in foreign countries (AM only, on shortwave). Also on satellite in the BVN-TV multiplex.

Digital-only channels

• Radio 1 Classics, classic pop and rock, starting on January 27, 2009
• Radio 2 Topcollectie XL, easy listening music, with a focus on Flemish artists, starting on January 27, 2009
• Klara continuo, classical music radio channel without talks
• Klara Jazz, starting on January 27, 2009
• Studio Brussel Rock It, starting on January 27, 2009
• Nieuws+, latest news programme continuously repeated
• MNM Hits, continuous popular music

They also have a TMC service transmitted on Radio 2.

See also

• List of radio stations in Belgium
• List of television stations in Belgium
• Bert De Graeve, former CEO
• Tony Mary, former CEO

References

• April 16 'Belgian pubcaster to launch HD Channel' via Broadband TV News

External links

• VRT Official website
• (English) news site of VRT
• VRT AUDIO