Broadcast Partners wins race to operate commercial national mux 11A in Belgian Flanders.
DAB+ 11A in Belgian Flanders
Broadcast Partners will operate the channels for DAB commercial ensemble 11A in Belgian Flanders. Until now, the license was held by Norkring Belgium. In late 2023, the bidding process was launched by the Flemish Media Regulator (VRM) after which several bids were evaluated based on a beauty contest. After reviewing the submissions, the VRM identified Broadcast Partners’ bid as the best proposal. Effective June 21, the current operator’s license will be transferred to Broadcast Partners. Due to the change of operator, adjustments must be made to the transmission towers. “Preparations are in full swing. Listeners are not expected to be affected by the operator transition.”
Broadcast Partners is also the station operator for commercial stations in Belgian Flanders on FM such as Q-Music, Joe and Nostalgie. Also, Broadcast Partners has been managing the DAB network for VRT since 2018.
As a broadcaster, would you like to have your broadcasts heard on DAB+ 11A? If so, please fill out the contact form below so we can get in touch!
About Broadcast Partners
Ever since 1979, Broadcast Partners has been there for all radio stations in the Netherlands and Flanders when it comes to FM and DAB transmitter parks. Winning the race for 11A gives Broadcast Partners another license to manage a major network in Belgium. Broadcast Partners is already active for VRT in Belgium and NPO, Q-Music, Radio 538, 100% NL and many more in the Netherlands, among others. The company with about 70 employees has two offices in the Netherlands; its headquarters in Terneuzen, Zeeland, Flanders, and an office in Hilversum. Many things are taken care of in these offices: monitoring, design, frequency planning, etc. But it also provides software and hardware for radio stations around the world.
If you would like to broadcast on 11A, please contact us.
Access model – DAB+ channel 11A
- Upon signing a confidentiality agreement, interested parties will be able to receive a copy of the access contract model and the relevant technical documentation. This agreement will also include a clause stating that the candidates accept the access model and waive any demands or claims arising from its application by Broadcast Partners.
- The call will specify the period within which interested parties must submit a request for contract conclusion to Broadcast Partners, how they should do so, and what information they must minimally disclose. This “window of opportunity” will remain open for at least one month.
- The basic model that Broadcast Partners will apply for allocation of capacity in channel 11A is that of issuance in the order of receipt of applications (“first come, first served”), as this model best reflects the actual market demand.
In cases where two or more applications are deemed to have been submitted at the same time, the order will be determined by drawing lots, under the supervision of a bailiff or a notary.
- If at the expiry of the period mentioned in paragraph 2 there are fewer requests for contract conclusion than there is capacity available on channel 11A, Broadcast Partners will negotiate with each of these candidates based on the access contract model.
If these negotiations result in the non-conclusion of an access contract with one or more candidates within the first month after the expiry of the period mentioned in paragraph 2, the free, available capacity on channel 11A will be published on the Broadcast Partners website, and negotiations will be conducted with new candidates who apply within the timeframe specified on the website, in the order of receipt of the applications, based on the access contract model with the same deadline for concluding negotiations with an agreement.
This procedure will be repeated as long as there is free, available capacity on channel 11A.
- If at the expiry of the period mentioned in paragraph 2 there are more requests for contract conclusion than there is capacity available on channels 11A, Broadcast Partners will act as follows.
- Hypothesis that the number of applications, by a certain date, is greater than the available capacity on channels 11A.
Broadcast Partners will first negotiate with the Broadcast Organizations currently broadcasting on channel 11A. These broadcasters already have capacity in use and therefore fall under the “First come, First served” principle; moreover, the broadcasters have been admitted to this channel by the current operator under non-discriminatory conditions. Broadcast Partners offers these broadcasters the opportunity to conclude a contract based on the current consumption of digital capacity.
If these negotiations do not result in the conclusion of an access contract with these candidates, given the available capacity, within three weeks after the expiry of the period mentioned in paragraph 2, negotiations will be conducted with the next candidate(s) on the list.
If no access contract is concluded three weeks after the start of these negotiations, negotiations will be conducted with the next candidate on the list, each time with a timeframe of up to three weeks of negotiations. This procedure will be repeated until there are no more candidates or no available capacity remains.
- Hypothesis that the number of applications, by a certain date, is less than the available capacity on channel 11A, negotiations will, if necessary, be conducted over the free, available capacity with the other candidates, in the order of receipt of the applications.
- If after the negotiations conducted in the manner described in paragraphs 2 to 7 following the call mentioned in paragraph 1 there is still free, available capacity, this will be indicated on the Broadcast Partners website, and negotiations will be conducted with new candidates who spontaneously apply, in the order of receipt of the applications.
