The Flemish Radio and Television Broadcasting Organisation (Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie, VRT) is the public broadcaster serving the Flemish community in Belgium. The broadcaster operated under different names before as follows: NIR between 1930 and 1960, BRT between 1960 and 1991, and BRTN between 1991 and 1998. VRT runs four television channels and five radio channels. In 2018, VRT and the private equity firm Vlaanderen (PMV) joined forces to create a fund, Media-Invest Vlaanderen, that finances promising companies in the media sector. Each partner owns half of the newly created fund.
Media assets
Television: VRT1, Canvas, Ketnet, Sporza
Radio: Radio 1, Radio 2, Klara, Studio Brussel, MNM
State Media Matrix Typology: Independent State-Funded and State-Managed (ISFM)
Ownership and governance
The renaming to VRT in 1998 was part of a legal change that also transformed the station’s legal status from a semi-governmental entity to a publicly owned corporation in its own right (in Dutch, “NV van publiek recht”).
The highest governing body at VRT is the Board of Directors, with 12 members appointed by the Flemish Government in Belgium. The appointments are mostly in line with the representation of the political groups in the Flemish Parliament. The Board of Directors has three sub-committees that assist the board in its supervisory functions, particularly in finance management, strategy, and remuneration policies.
Source of funding and budget
In 2021, VRT operated with a total budget of €447m, of which over €270m came from a subsidy from the state budget, accounting for over 60% of its funding. The rest of the budget was generated by the broadcaster through its own activities, according to the company’s annual report.
According to company data, in 2022, VRT had a total budget of €456m, with almost €271m received through a state subsidy. In 2023, VRT’s budget grew to €486.6.
In recent years, VRT has been reducing its budget by laying off part of its staff as part of an ongoing reform of the broadcaster. The company aims to cut around €25m with this strategy.
Editorial independence
The government does not impose any restrictive obligations on VRT that would compel the broadcaster to adopt a pro-government editorial stance. According to two content analyses conducted for this project in May 2021 and March 2024, VRT is known for its editorial independence. To date, there is no evidence that any state authority controls VRT’s editorial agenda.
As part of numerous rulebooks and statutes, VRT has a code of ethics and an editorial statute, ensuring its editorial independence.
The VRT news service is affiliated with the Journalism Council. Members of the Council pledge to respect the Journalism Council’s code. The VRT news service is also affiliated with the Journalism Council, a self-regulatory body in Belgium committed to respecting the council’s ethical norms.
VRT has established mechanisms to oversee its editorial performance. One of these mechanisms is the ethical advisory council, which consists of 11 members elected by the station’s staff. This council can provide ethical advice to the broadcaster’s editorial management, whether solicited or unsolicited.
Furthermore, VRT has a news ombudsman responsible for addressing public comments and complaints regarding the broadcaster’s adherence to its internal rules to ensure editorial independence. Tim Pauwels has been the VRT ombudsman since April 2017. In January 2023, he was replaced by Bert Lauwers.
August 2024