Every day, many people from Drenthe turn on the television to hear what the weather will be like. But it is striking that while the news is delivered in Dutch, the weather report is always in Drenthe.
The weather in Drenthe is no coincidence. According to Martin van der Veen, editor-in-chief at RTV Drenthe, it was deliberately introduced as an editorial choice at the time. “The idea was to give the regional language a place in the daily programming in a natural way. Because it is a fixed and recognizable part of the broadcast, it lends itself well to such a form,” he explains.
In this way, regional language becomes visible and audible at an accessible moment for viewers and listeners.
The weather forecast is short, recognizable and understandable for everyone. This makes it extremely suitable for regional language, in contrast to the news, which is often more nuanced and complex. “The weather is ‘people’s daily life’, which fits in well with regional language. This makes it feel very natural for viewers and listeners,” says Van der Veen.
Weather presenters confirm this, for example Elly Smit says: “I think the weather forecast is good to do in Drenthe, in principle I only talk in Drenthe on the channel.”
The weather forecast in Drenthe has now become a permanent tradition on RTV Drenthe. Aaldert Oosterhuis, weather presenter, says: “The weather report on Drenthe TV has been available since September 1999. So it has been famous for 26 years. In more or less the same way.”
For many viewers and listeners it is a recognizable and beloved part of the broadcast, and it shows that regional language can be a natural part of daily media use.
The use of regional language also strengthens the bond with the audience. Van der Veen explains that the weather forecast is a moment when tradition, identity and audience bonding come together. “The weather in Drenthe fits well with the role of RTV Drenthe to keep the Drenthe language and culture visible.”
Smit adds: “Whether it adds anything, well, I haven’t investigated that, of course, but it is one of the few places where Drenthe can actually be found on the channel.”
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