Country FM closes - what now for Arrow?
An interesting development on the Dutch radio scene today. Cable station Country FM - which, I must admit, I hadn't heard of, let alone listened to - is closing down at midnight local time tonight. Apparently they have been around for five years, but have now decided that a country music station is not viable in the Netherlands. Maybe if they had promoted it a bit better...but that's by the by. What's interesting is that this station turns out to be operated by Music Country b.v, the people who got the licence for 675 kHz. What's more, according to a press release issued today the entire company has been taken over by RTL Nederland (formerly Holland Media Group), and the cable frequencies previously used for Country FM will be used for RTL Radio. That station still hasn't begun full programming after receiving a licence on 1 June, and RTL is due to make a statement next Wednesday on its future. Industry observers here are suggesting that RTL Nederland - which is making a loss on its TV operations - either cannot or will not pay the salaries to attract high profile presenters.
Presumably RTL also takes over the licence for 675 kHz along with the other assets of Music Country b.v. But do they want it? And if not, will it be re-advertised, or awarded to Arrow Classic Rock even though Arrow never formally applied for it? We could well be in for more musical chairs on the Dutch airwaves, even before the second round of licence allocations is announced.
8:03:28 PM 
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