The Dutch government has committed itself to public spending cutbacks in a range of sectors, including public broadcasting. Radio Netherlands Worldwide has been making headlines in recent weeks amid speculation on where these cuts will fall.
The broadcaster has now issued a statement that, if faced with a choice between its core activities, it will dispense with its services informing Dutch-speakers abroad. In the following statement, the director and editors-in-chief informed the staff about this decision on Tuesday.
“In its coalition agreement, the Dutch government has presented its plans for its current term of office. This agreement states that Radio Netherlands Worldwide (RNW) should focus on its core activities, including freedom of speech. This is partly inspired by the fact that technological developments have compelled a re-evaluation of RNW’s activities. Parliament recently adopted a motion put forward by D66 Democrat MP Boris van der Ham to examine RNW’s role in a changing world.
Future vision
The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained these latest developments to RNW’s management in January and February and announced that an analysis would take place. This analysis included approximately 60 questions on such issues as personnel, finances, distribution, core activities and cooperation with other organisations. One question called on RNW to provide a vision of how it would carry out its activities in future. The director and editors-in-chief decided to give a clear indication of its priorities in this regard, taking into account the economic climate and the need for cutbacks in all areas of public spending.
RNW’s current ambitions were recently set out in its Policy Plan for 2010–2015. This plan also formed the basis of the Performance Agreement reached in June 2010 with the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and the Dutch Media Authority (CvdM).
International expertise
The key objectives set out in the Policy Plan for 2010–2015 and the Performance Agreement are:
• to reinforce the distinctive profile of Radio Netherlands Worldwide;
• to bring about a shift in the distribution mix (scaling back shortwave broadcasts);
• to limit the activities for Dutch-speakers abroad to information targeting specific groups; and
• to encourage national public broadcasting media to use RNW’s international expertise.
In addition to these points, our answers to the questions asked by the ministries contained the following passage:
‘Should a prioritisation of core activities prove necessary, we would therefore give prevalence to the task of providing information to countries with an information deficit (core activity II) – in combination with core activity III. Informing Dutch-speakers outside of the Netherlands (core activity I) could if necessary be limited to the role of “emergency broadcaster” and the provision of information for expats and/or be taken over by the NOS. We also see opportunities to accelerate the scaling back of shortwave broadcasts as a distribution platform, including the closure of broadcasting stations on Bonaire and Madagascar.’
Uncertain
The above is not to say that this will be the nature of any decisions taken. These decisions lie with the politicians. The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will consider our answers in the coming period. Before the summer recess, the government will inform parliament about the future of Radio Netherlands Worldwide and how its activities will be conducted. The outcome is uncertain. We have provided the initial impulse for a discussion that will take place elsewhere. (...)”
The broadcaster has now issued a statement that, if faced with a choice between its core activities, it will dispense with its services informing Dutch-speakers abroad. In the following statement, the director and editors-in-chief informed the staff about this decision on Tuesday.
“In its coalition agreement, the Dutch government has presented its plans for its current term of office. This agreement states that Radio Netherlands Worldwide (RNW) should focus on its core activities, including freedom of speech. This is partly inspired by the fact that technological developments have compelled a re-evaluation of RNW’s activities. Parliament recently adopted a motion put forward by D66 Democrat MP Boris van der Ham to examine RNW’s role in a changing world.
Future vision
The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained these latest developments to RNW’s management in January and February and announced that an analysis would take place. This analysis included approximately 60 questions on such issues as personnel, finances, distribution, core activities and cooperation with other organisations. One question called on RNW to provide a vision of how it would carry out its activities in future. The director and editors-in-chief decided to give a clear indication of its priorities in this regard, taking into account the economic climate and the need for cutbacks in all areas of public spending.
RNW’s current ambitions were recently set out in its Policy Plan for 2010–2015. This plan also formed the basis of the Performance Agreement reached in June 2010 with the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and the Dutch Media Authority (CvdM).
International expertise
The key objectives set out in the Policy Plan for 2010–2015 and the Performance Agreement are:
• to reinforce the distinctive profile of Radio Netherlands Worldwide;
• to bring about a shift in the distribution mix (scaling back shortwave broadcasts);
• to limit the activities for Dutch-speakers abroad to information targeting specific groups; and
• to encourage national public broadcasting media to use RNW’s international expertise.
In addition to these points, our answers to the questions asked by the ministries contained the following passage:
‘Should a prioritisation of core activities prove necessary, we would therefore give prevalence to the task of providing information to countries with an information deficit (core activity II) – in combination with core activity III. Informing Dutch-speakers outside of the Netherlands (core activity I) could if necessary be limited to the role of “emergency broadcaster” and the provision of information for expats and/or be taken over by the NOS. We also see opportunities to accelerate the scaling back of shortwave broadcasts as a distribution platform, including the closure of broadcasting stations on Bonaire and Madagascar.’
Uncertain
The above is not to say that this will be the nature of any decisions taken. These decisions lie with the politicians. The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will consider our answers in the coming period. Before the summer recess, the government will inform parliament about the future of Radio Netherlands Worldwide and how its activities will be conducted. The outcome is uncertain. We have provided the initial impulse for a discussion that will take place elsewhere. (...)”
(Source : Radio Netherlands/Media Network Weblog)
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