Onderzoeksartikel

Vijftig jaar openbare televisie in Vlaanderen: "Weldaad of verschrikking?"

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Abstract

This contribution looks at the complexity of writing media history, with Flemish public service television as a case in point. Starting from the knowledge that history writing is inherently a reconstruction, composed from a certain point of view, this text tries not only to paint the evolution of Flemish broadcasting culture but also to contemplate the discursive structures in this history writing. Flemish television started in 1953 as a public service institution with a broadcasting monopoly and a policy stressing education and national identity. In the 1970s and 1980s the original dynamic of the institute made way for growing bureaucracy and conservatism. It lost contact with the audience, thus providing the ideal breeding ground for commercial television which started in 1989. At that time, liberating the broadcasting market caused a shock wave which destabilised public television but at the same time forced it to adapt to the changing times. By the end of the 1990s, VRT has transformed into a modem, audience oriented and successful television. This article in part confirms this familiar ‘story of VRT’ but at the same time tries to point to the dangers of simplification that lurk behind it. There is a clear need for qualified and balanced historical work, taking into account the many different aspects involved: institution, production, representation and audience.

How to Cite:

Dhoest, A. & Van Den Bulck, H., (2003) “Vijftig jaar openbare televisie in Vlaanderen: "Weldaad of verschrikking?"”, Tijdschrift voor Communicatiewetenschap 31(4), 279–297.