HILVERSUM From 12 to 30 November Amsterdam is the stage for the Amsterdam India Festival. This festival of Indian art and culture is the largest ever presented in the Netherlands. For the first time, Radio Netherlands Worldwide (RNW) and All India Radio (AIR) will cooperate in radio coverage of this event in English. The Dutch-Indian cultural event will be aired nationwide in India and worldwide by RNW.
The Amsterdam India Festival offers a wide range of activities and events in the area of Indian art and culture, encompassing music, dance, film, architecture, debates, fashion, multimedia and exhibitions of Indian art. The theme of the festival is Blended Cultures, in reference to the enormous diversity of cultures which co-exist in India. A diversity one also finds in Amsterdam.
Public broadcasters RNW and AIR will cover the event in Amsterdam. Commentaries, interviews and reports of performances will give listeners an insight into the events as they happen. All India Radio will broadcast these contributions in their network programming, reaching a potential of 350 million listeners in India. Through its vast network of 229 broadcast centres AIR covers an area of more than 90% of the country.
RNW and AIR will work together for the first time. RNW has recently been actively establishing partnerships with local Indian broadcasters. All India Radio is part of the Prasar Bharati media organisation, and is the leading public broadcaster in India with more than 70 years experience. With this cooperative venture, RNW and AIR have paved the way for a future in which they can exchange and combine even more journalistic, cultural and technical know-how.
Jan Hoek, RNWs Director General explains: “Radio Netherlands Worldwide works together with thousands of radio stations all over the world which broadcast our programmes. Increasingly we see stations keen to work with us on co-productions. It is a gratifying further step that the major radio broadcaster in India has also recognised the added value of our expertise.
B.S. LALLI, CEO Prasar Bharati/ AIR declares: We at All India Radio are pleased to be associated with Radio Netherlands Worldwide to cover the India festival which is taking place in Amsterdam. It gives us a chance I hope , to develop joint programming in days to come. It is indeed a good start and we look forward to a larger cooperation between us in future.