Breaking News: Radio 10 stays on the air after all!!
As reported two days ago in this Weblog, Dutch commercial broadcaster Radio 10 FM has been talking with Sky Radio about a takeover deal, and today it was announced that the talks were successful. In a nutshell, it not only means that Radio 10 FM will remain on the terrestrial airwaves after today, but it will in fact be the only Dutch commercial station to remain on its current frequency - 103 FM. An additional transmitter is being added.
Radio 10 FM says it received 125,000 protest mails and faxes since Monday's announcement that it had failed in its attempt to secure a new eight year licence. The directors and staff have reacted with understandable emotion to the news that they will be able to continue broadcasting to their 2 million existing listeners, and Sky Radio Director Tom Lathouwers says he wants to work with the Radio 10 team to make the station *the* oldies station in The Netherlands.
Unfortunately for Radio 10 fans outside the country, the mediumwave frequency of 675 kHz is not part of the package, and as also reported in this Weblog it will from tomorrow carry the programmes of Arrow Classic Rock.
The developments of the past few days make rather a mockery of the entire licence award process. Two stations that the government had decided were not worthy of a new licence have found a way round the system and will remain on the air. It inevitably calls into question the process as a whole, and the judgement of those involved in the awards decision. But this whole process has gone on so long that it had long since become discredited anyway.
10:07:00 PM 
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