Belgium’s Flemish public broadcaster VRT and the Dutch NPO have announced an “intensive collaboration.”
The new alliance will see the two public broadcasters collaborate on four levels: developing new programs, exchanging existing programs, sharing new broadcast technology and creating social added value. In addition, the public tandem is looking at developing technology to detect and fight disinformation and sharing strategic research.
“As neighboring countries, we already have a lot to share, and from now we will also team up in terms of media,” said NPO President Frederieke Leeflang. “We join hands to strengthen our role as public broadcasters for our listeners and viewers,” added VRT CEO Frederik Delaplace.
“We see companies around us benefiting from international operations. As public broadcasters sharing the same DNA, we can achieve the same benefits by joining hands in stronger cooperation between both countries,” explained NPO board member Martijn van Dam, one of the pioneers of the new alliance.
One of the key elements of the technological alliance is enhancing their digital platforms, VRT MAX and NPO Start/NPO Luister. Both public broadcasters share the same functionalities, public data algorithms and innovation.
“I believe the Netherlands and Flanders have each other a lot to offer each other,” concluded Flemish media minister Benjamin Dalle. “The new collaboration will allow the audiences on both sides of the border to enjoy the high-quality content of both broadcasters. But this is just a first step, with more initiatives coming up to strengthen the link between the Dutch and Flemish media landscapes.”
