Radio Netherlands in Asia

By Ardi Bouwers

In Europe, the Dutch language service (in cooperation with the domestic public broadcasters) now broadcasts 12 hours a day on short wave, medium wave, and via the Astra satellite. In Latin America and the Caribbean, the Spanish language broadcasts have a growing audience because Radio Netherlands is supplementing its short wave transmissions with broadcasts via satellite and rebroadcasting on dozens of local radio stations.
Targeted specifically to Asia, Radio Netherlands has programmes in three languages: Dutch, English, and Indonesian. The Dutch transmissions are for Dutch people living in the region and cover a variety of Dutch and international news. Once or twice every 24 hours, listeners get an update of current international affairs and they can listen to background programmes that are mainly about Dutch affairs. Listeners are either holiday-makers, a fast growing group, or Dutch people living and working somewhere in Asia.

Not just tulips and cheese
The English language service targets local audiences (and that usually means the elite, people who are well-educated, "decision- makers" in marketing terms). A considerable part of the English language audience in Asia lives on the Indian subcontinent, where English is more widely spoken than in other parts of the region. To serve that audience well, Radio Netherlands offers a mix of regional and international news in the current affairs programmes and þ where possible þ a Dutch touch in the background programmes. Purely Dutch items are only included in the programmes when they can be packaged in such a way that it becomes interesting to a world audience. But by the choice of subjects, interviewees and correspondents, Radio Netherlands tries to convey Dutch thought and culture in all its transmissions. However, a Dutch way of viewing the world does not mean looking at tulips, cheese, and wooden shoes, but involves talking about human rights, development issues, AIDS, child labour, euthanasia, etc. The fact that the Netherlands is a small country, usually not mixed up in world conflicts, can work in our favour. Radio Netherlands is one of the very few independent international broadcasters, with absolutely no government interference. Listeners appreciate that. During the Falklands conflict, listeners in South America turned away from the BBC to Radio Netherlands for independent coverage. And listeners from India write that they like to hear another voice from Europe (other than the BBC, that is). For most listeners to the English transmissions, Radio Netherlands is not the primary source of information. It usually supplements information provided by local, national, or international television and radio stations. Listeners turn to Radio Netherlands for another perspective on world affairs.

Taboos in the Indonesian media
The Indonesian transmissions are of a completely different nature from those in Dutch and English. They are targeted exclusively to Indonesia, where information is not easily accessible due to heavy censorship. Such a clear, well-defined group of listeners makes programming easier than for the "world audiences" of the English transmissions. Radio Netherlands offers views on political, economic and social developments in Indonesia, both from within the country and from abroad. Opinions that are often not shown on Indonesian television or heard on the radio, in short, taboos in the Indonesian media. Owing to the close ties the Netherlands has had with Indonesia and to the fact that the Netherlands is known to the general public in Indonesia -þ because of our colonial past -þ Radio Netherlands does play a role in providing Indonesian listeners with information. It is interesting to note that Radio Netherlands was originally set up for direct contact with Dutch administrators in what was then the Netherlands East Indies. In 1927, the Dutch government started experimental transmissions in cooperation with Philips for that purpose. In 1947, during the colonial war (euphemistically called "police actions"), transmissions in Indonesian and English were used as propaganda tools, to explain the position of the Dutch government to the Indonesian population and to the United States. With the changes in Dutch society over the years, especially since the 1960s, Radio Netherlands has asserted its independence from the Dutch government.

Shortwave: no gate-keepers!
To be able to reach audiences all over the world, Radio Netherlands uses short wave transmitters in Flevoland in the Netherlands, on Madagascar, and on Bonair in the Caribbean. On top of that, Radio Netherlands is hiring transmitters in the former Soviet Union (powerful transmitters that were used during the Cold War for propaganda purposes, and for jamming "hostile" broadcasts). The latter move has improved reception, especially in Asia which has always been difficult to reach from Madagascar.
The sound quality of short wave is inferior to FM, medium wave or satellite. But the one big advantage of short wave is that there are no "gate-keepers". Short wave makes it possible to broadcast your own information from transmitters thousands of kilometres away from the audience, but also from the influence of regimes who would prefer to stop such information from coming in. At the moment, the policy is to shift to satellite broadcasting where possible. But for places such as Indonesia, with strictly state-controlled media, Radio Netherlands will continue to rely on short wave for the years to come.
Radio Netherlands has a television department, as well. Best known are its contribution to CNN's Weekly World Report, but it also produces TV documentaries in cooperation with different television stations around the world. And last but not least, the Radio Netherlands Training Centre helps to train radio-makers from radio stations all over the world. People from Asia, Africa, the Middle East and many other places come to the Netherlands to receive radio training and, in turn, provide us with good access to those radio stations, and with information. And that's what international radio is all about.

Ms. Ardi Bouwers is Current Affairs Editor in the Asian Department of Radio Netherlands.