Regional broadcasters receive additional resources

Flemish Media minister Benjamin Dalle (CD&V) has granted 707,000 euros to regional television broadcasters in Flanders. The funding means a 34 per cent increase to the current financing, bringing the total to 2 million euros.

A multi-year cooperation for the 10 regional television broadcasters in Flanders lasted from 2018-2022 but the Flemish government decided to elongate the agreement to 2023, adding extra financial resources. The new agreement covers 2024-2029.

The government has granted 507,000 euros of the initial sum to aid broadcasters in digital access and developing a cross-media approach. This amounts to an average increase of about 17 per cent. 160,000 euros of the 507,000 euros will go to the umbrella association NORTV. In turn, NORTV must act as a spokesperson and interviewer for the broadcasters, for example, in discussions with public broadcaster VRT.

A one-off energy compensation of 200,000 euros will also be evenly distributed among the broadcasters.

“With these additional resources, we are taking a step forward in the digital evolution of our regional television broadcasters,” said Dalle. "They are evolving into regional media organisations, which produce news that is distributed across various channels and not just on television. Digital accessibility is the ultimate goal of this exercise."

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