Flemish and Dutch public broadcaster to cooperate intensively
Flemish public broadcaster VRT is going to cooperate intensively with Dutch broadcaster NPO. They will make programmes together and share technology. According to Flemish Media minister Benjamin Dalle (CD&V), it is only a first step that is part of a broader cooperation.
"The increasing importance of a public broadcaster for society and the current challenges in the media bring us together," said Lieven Vermaele, VRT director of Partnerships & Operations. "Not for some ad hoc cooperation, but for an intensive and sustainable partnership."
"We already share so much with each other as countries. Now we will do the same in the media field," says NPO president Frederieke Leeflang.
The broadcasters will make and exchange more programmes together.
"Different teams are now working on the stories we want to tell and formats we want to develop together. Think of innovative drama series, online productions, but also podcasts," said Frans Klein, director of video at Dutch NPO.
Ricus Jansegers, general director of content at VRT, wants to offer the Flemish and Dutch audiences a broad catalogue of programmes, "with a focus on genres and forms that surprise and offer more insight into each other's culture and identity".
In addition, the public broadcasters want to strengthen each other's digital platforms - VRT MAX and NPO Start - with new functionalities and a new data infrastructure that puts personal usage data back in the hands of the users themselves.
In the meantime, Flemish media minister Benjamin Dalle (CD&V) speaks of a first step.
"There will be more initiatives to connect the media landscape in Flanders and the Netherlands more strongly. In this way, we want to ensure that our media players and viewers are ready for tomorrow's challenges," he concluded.
(AHU)
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© BELGA PHOTO DIRK WAEM - Illustration shows the VRT tower with satellite dishes on the top in marge of the signing of the VRT Management Agreement, in Brussels, Thursday 10 December 2020.