In tonights BRTN news was announced that Radio Vlaanderen Internationaal 
will cut budget quite drastically.  
They will no longer broadcast in German, Spanish and Arabic.  Only 
Dutch, English and French will stay. This will go into effect in 
November 1997.  RVI says that these measurements are taken to cut the 
budget, but also with the intention to use the budget more efficient.  
The number of employees will be reduced also because a lot of 
co-operator are not able to work in other departments because of their 
language knowledge.  The number of transmitting hours will be reduced 
from 300 hours/week to only 140 hours/week.  The use of the transmitter 
site at Waver will be used only for transmissions to Central and South 
Europe and Central Africa.  Other targets like N. and E. Europe, 
N.America and the Middle East, South Africa and Asia will no longer be 
served from Waver.  These broadcast will go out via relay station.
I expect and hope that this decision will result in a huge flood of 
protest letters at RVI, especially from German speaking listeners.  They 
are well organised and were always dedicated enough to visit the annual 
open day.
73 de Guido.
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                     Guido Schotmans, 
       DX-ANTWERP, P.O.Box 16, B-2660 Hoboken, BELGIUM
                     Fido : 2:292/878
                   e-mail :  gs@innet.be
                            dxa@innet.be
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--- JCQWK
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