Radio Netherlands Worldwide offers a wide range of programmes for the culturally varied audience that makes up the English-speaking world. RNW’s English-language output makes an important contribution to the role the Netherlands plays on the international stage.

Working together with international partners we provide independent news, current affairs and in-depth programmes via radio and the internet. Central are the issues of human rights, development and the environment.

Who are we?
The English department is made up of Dutch and non-Dutch journalists, with wide-ranging expertise. They include translators, news and current affairs editors, producers of in-depth programmes and internet specialists. The team’s versatility is continually being broadened, with journalists working not only in audio and text, but also increasingly in video.

What do we do?
We produce multimedia pieces, on a wide range of subjects, plus news and current affairs programmes. These all target various parts of the world via radio and the internet. A current project is the production of an Indian edition of our series on sustainability, Earth Beat, in co-operation with the Indian national public service broadcaster, All India Radio. We also collaborate with the United States’ leading public radio network, WAMU, to produce the human rights programme, The State We’re In. The show is broadcast by radio stations in Africa, Australia, Canada, the USA and Europe.

As well as being broadcast, all our programmes have versions on our website and are available as podcasts. They can be listened to whole or in parts.

What makes us different?
Our Dutch-European position gives us a view of the world which sets us apart from other international services. Our internet reports and regular programmes are informed by the core issues of human rights, international justice, development and the environment, issues on which the Netherlands is a global trend-setter. This also makes us unique among other providers of English-language news. The provision of daily Dutch news, interpreted and explained, is an important part of the English department’s work.

Our programmes and our site
Our website offers a varied range of news and background information. A full list of programmes can be found on our home page.

Other projects
The Indian version of Earth Beat, which deals with issues such as global warming, alternative energy and international development, will include material from All India Radio. As well as the English-language version, there will also be one in Hindi, increasing the show’s audience considerably.

We are creating new blogs and increasing the interactive aspects of our site to give our audience more possibilities to air their views.

Who’s it for?
Our audience comprises people looking for a different perspective on the world and who are interested in what could be described as Dutch core global issues: human rights, international justice and sustainability. However, we also target people who are interested in the Netherlands itself, in Dutch news, society and culture. Our audience is largely made up of highly educated people, those who influence public opinion and those who are looking for information which can help improve their lives.

Our target audience in South Asia and Africa is between 20 and 40 years of age, while in North America the group is broader, from 25 to 50.

We broadcast daily to South Asia and Africa via shortwave, which is still important in these regions where many people do not have access to alternative sources of information such as the internet. This is why we work with as many partner radio stations as possible. This co-operation continues to increase in importance in the distribution of our programmes. Our programmes are also broadcast via satellite, but reliable figures on uptake here are difficult to gauge.

We reach our audiences in the United States and in Europe mostly via the internet and via partner stations. In the US, we also broadcast via satellite.

At the moment, about half a million people per month visit our website. We expect this number to increase further as our new website continues to take shape.

Why?
The Netherlands is a small country which plays a large part on the international stage. It is celebrated for its progressive policy in a number of areas. The English department focuses on these core areas to produce its unique material. At the same time, it is a source of independent news and current affairs for regions denied proper access to such information. From our Dutch-European vantage point, we can offer a different perspective on what is going on in the world.

Our ambition
We aim to widen our audience still further by increasing the number of partners with whom we work and by offering them products including separate modules from programmes. We intend to continue to develop and improve our website to improve the service to our audience.