The local broadcaster has existed for fifty years today. What started with six broadcasters in 1974 is now many more. Involved media makers, often volunteers, inform and explain until they weigh an ounce. But broadcasters that focus on one municipality will probably soon be a thing of the past. They continue in a larger area for more professionalism.
About 115 volunteers work at RTV Meppel, says Hans Wolff proudly. He is chairman of this local broadcaster. According to him, of all volunteers who work for a broadcaster in Drenthe, a third do so at RTV Meppel. “Recruiting enough volunteers has never been a problem,” he says.
Involvement is the strength of a regional broadcaster, Wolff knows. Where the regional newspaper or broadcaster cannot be present everywhere, especially not for smaller news, local people are often at the forefront. And so, with the limited budget of several tens of thousands of euros per year, they try to provide Meppel with the best possible information.
“It also strengthens social cohesion,” adds chairman Jacob van Gelder of RTV Tynaarlo. “In a municipality it is important that you have a decent local broadcaster. And especially if you have an affinity with writing, politics, sports or culture, then it is very interesting to work here as a volunteer.”
There are more organizations such as RTV Meppel and RTV Tynaarlo in Drenthe. Consider, for example, Assen FM or Radio Annen/Aa en Hunze. Each one started small. RTV Meppel, for example, did this in the 1980s as a health broadcaster for Southwest Drenthe and the north of Overijssel. Radio Annen started in 2008 from a shed behind an employee’s house. Because the reactions at the time were so positive, it was decided to establish a radio station.