New chance for Belgian TV

The Finnish publishing group Sanoma, together with German media group ProSiebenSat1, has taken over the two Belgian television stations VTM and VT4. This doesn't necessarily pose a threat to the public broadcaster VRT, writes the financial paper De Tijd: "The temptation will be great for VRT to plunge into a race with VTM and VT4, but this would be misconceived. As a public broadcaster VRT should not follow the commercial logic but can and must set different priorities. ... It doesn't have to be a niche broadcaster but can continue to target a broad audience. But it must set itself apart from the commercial broadcasters. Viewer ratings are not the only criterion for judging whether a public broadcaster is doing its job. More emphasis can be placed on qualitative criteria. ... The public broadcaster also has other advantages, particularly its comprehensive news service, which can deliver topicality and good analysis."

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