According to current plans, Belgian broadcaster Radio Vlaanderen Internationaal will cease radio broadcasts in English, French and German from 26 March 2005. The only remaining shortwave transmissions will be to southern Europe.
Wim Jansen, netmanager Rvi told the AIB: “Of course we at RVi are very sorry about these developments. It is a sad thing that this announcement coincides with the end of “radio” at Swiss Radio International, after we have seen the end of international broadcasting in Austria, Norway, Denmark… Times are hard for international broadcasters in smaller nations. Nevertheless we hope we will be able to serve our international audience via our website rvi.be, which will be thoroughly reworked by April 2005. In the meantime please continue listening to rvi, we will be going on for one more season.”
But there is a glimmer of hope the Flemish Media Minister Geert Bourgeois has invited comments from listeners. The Minister is preparing an evaluation of the Flemish public broadcaster VRT, of which RVI is part.
Please write to:
Media minister Geert Bourgeois, Alhambra building, Emile Jacqmainlaan 20, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium; e-mail: kabinet.bourgeois@vlaanderen.be