The curtain of the Breda carnival channel Baronie TV fell last weekend after thirty years. Due to rising costs, a shortage of volunteers and no broadcasting options, the channel is forced to close down. But carnival lovers don’t have to be sad for long: CV De Spuitgasten announced on Monday that it will fill the gap of Baronie TV with full conviction. They are coming up with a brand new carnival channel that should honor the tradition and breathe new life into it at the same time.
While the news from Baronie TV feels like the end of an era to many, the Breda carnival association sees it as an opportunity. They want to keep the rich carnival tradition in the Kielegat alive on television.
“Baronie TV has done fantastic work for thirty years and left an indelible mark on the Breda media landscape,” says Job de Jongh, the frontman of the new channel. “With our channel we not only want to honor that tradition, but also renew it. With fresh energy, modern resources and of course a good dose of fun.”
Baronie TV was founded in 1996 and grew over the years into a team of approximately sixty volunteers. They made ‘the Baronie TV carnival marathon’ five days a year to record the carnival in Breda.
The new channel will be called Abdera TV, which refers to the old carnival name of Breda. “It will be the new home channel for everything that has to do with the Breda carnival, but is opposed to everything that has to do with protocol and the Prince,” says CV de Spuitgasten.
The channel will not be fully operational in February. Next year it will mainly involve spontaneous live broadcasts on the channel’s social media channels. The ultimate goal is that everyone, wherever they are, can enjoy the broadcasts.
Mixed feelings
The board of Baronie TV said on Saturday that it had mixed feelings about the decision it made. Rising costs, fewer volunteers, no more broadcasting options via KPN and the new Media Act were the detriment of the foundation.
A final program will be made during carnival especially for Baronie TV fans. During that broadcast you can once again enjoy the Prince’s receptions, parades and special moments from the past thirty years.