RTBF Launches Tipik

BRUSSELS — RTBF launched Tipik in September. With a multimedia approach involving radio, television and the web, the new station targets millennials.

Tipik is the result of the fusion between the Pure radio and RTBF’s second TV channels, La Deux. The French-language public broadcaster set up Pure in 2004 as Pure FM after it decided to terminate its Radio 21 broadcasts. The broadcaster decided to replace Radio 21 with two stations, Pure FM and Classic 21.

With the tagline “Good Music Makes Good People,” Pure FM offers its audience a trendsetting musical format and in 2017 changed its name to Pure, dropping “FM.”

Simply Pure

“It’s crucial that RTBF connects with generation Y,” said Aurélie Berckmans, content manager for the RTBF’s Jam & Tipik stations. “This generation is constantly on the lookout for new content, scanning all types of media — they have a lot of ideas and things to say. Tipik’s goal is to create tailor-made content for this target audience.”

Berckmans adds that Tipik is the result of two years of research. “The connection between Pure, La Deux and the various digital projects has grown organically. This translates to a unique, transversal project.

Tipik’s programing consists of incorporating existing radio and TV programs with new content. The main objective is to win back the younger audience, unserved by the traditional players on the market.

In addition to radio with Tipik Vision visual radio along with its television programs, the broadcaster features specially produced digital content for social media. The station interacts with its audience via Instagram, Facebook, RTBF Auvio, YouTube and through its website (rtbf.be/tipik). RTBF Auvio is RTBF’s platform that permits its audience to retrieve radio and television programs. It also allows access to the digital archives of French community’s archiving project, Sonuma.

With some 27 presenters, Tipik airs between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m (midnight on weekends) on radio (FM and internet) and TV. It also hosts a night radio program between midnight and 6 a.m.

Visual Radio

RTBF built a new radio studio for Tipik, which features the Tipik Vision visual radio offering. This allows the station to broadcast some shows simultaneously on radio, television and the internet, such as the morning drive program “Le réveil de Djé” (Djé’s wake up call) from 6–9 a.m.

The on-air radio set up features a Studer OnAir 3000 modular console with Netia Radio-Assist and Air-DDO playout software. For Tipik Vision, automatic cameras capture studio images through the use of a BPix micro detector system. The Netia software connects to Tipik Vision for the transmission of metadata.

Tipik is our commitment toward millennials with dedicated content for our audience, combining diversity, difference, authenticity and transparency,” Berckmans concluded.