The auction of the FM frequencies is over and everything remains more or less the same. So a bit boring. “There is no question of a landslide,” concludes RTL Boulevard star Luuk Ikink.
After months of speculation the FM auction is over. It has cost the parties involved a total of 152 million euros, but the radio landscape does not change much. Two stations are losing their FM frequency, namely Sublime and Slam, and two stations are new to FM: Qmusic sister Joe and the new Financial News Radio.
No landslide
Luuk Ikink, the presenter of RTL Boulevard, seems to have expected a little more. “First look: DPG can roll out Joe nationally. Radio 10 will be on Veronica’s frequency, their old frequency will go to DPG. And a surprise? Financial NewsRadio? Don’t know that part. Curious! No landslide.”
The latter station will be added to BNR, which will also remain on FM. “Big surprise of the FM auction is the unknown Financial News Radio. This appears to be a company owned by IT entrepreneur and real estate investor Joost Zuurbier. He founded FNR in March at about the same time as a company called Independent Media Fund,” Rob Goossens tweeted.
‘Really curious’
It is unclear what kind of party this is exactly. Rob is ‘very curious about the plans’. And Luuk: “It seems that there will soon be three news channels in the Netherlands: Radio 1, BNR and the new Financial News Radio. INTERESTING!! Really curious to see what the latter channel will be.”
NPO’s media connoisseur Ron Vergouwen especially sympathizes with KINK. “The major instigator of the auction, KINK, has not won any frequency. At the moment, the transmitter is already doing very well without a frequency, but whether investors want to continue without an FM frequency in the long term is the question.”
To earn back
Media journalist Mark Koster mainly questions the high bids. “Big question: how do you earn it back? Bit 2003 all over again. It took DPG five years to make a profit with Q-Music. Was old lot of North Sea of De Mol. He paid 80 million (!!!) for it. Different times, but even then already absurd,” he tweeted.
Many radio DJs are especially relieved. For example, Radio 10 star Lex Landeweerd says: “What a relief that we can be found on FM for years to come with all Talpa stations and in my case especially Radio 10.”
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The winning bids: