Belgium

[BE] National Frequencies for Commercial Radio Stations and Plan for the VRT Regarding E-Services, Digital Television and the Internet.

IRIS 2000-8:1/21

Dirk Voorhoof

Human Rights Centre, Ghent University and Legal Human Academy

The Flemish Minister responsible for the media has recently made public the results of a study on the technical possibilities of allocating radio frequencies for two commercial radio stations in the Flemish Community. After a coordination procedure of the new available radio frequencies and after modification of some provisions of the Flemish Broadcasting Decree by Parliament, the Vlaams Commissariaat voor de Media (Flemish Media Authority) will be in a position to allocate the new radio licences and FM-frequencies. The commercial TV-broadcasters VTM and VT4 already have showed strong interest in the new radio licences.

The Minister also announced an ambitious plan for the public broadcasting organisation VRT. The VRT will have the mission of creating a Media Platform for access to all kinds of electronic services and digital television. The Media Platform will fully integrate television on the Internet and will be developed in collaboration with the Flemish telecom operator and Internet provider Telenet. It is not very clear at the moment how this ambitious plan for the public broadcasting organisation will be financed. The Technological Media Platform of the VRT should be operational in 2006.