From April 2008 on, day in and day out, 16 radio stations from 13 countries working in a consortium and seven associate radio stations will co-produce and simultaneously broadcast programmes devoted to current affairs in the EU. The programmes will be broadcast in ten languages (Bulgarian, English, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian and Spanish), but they will gradually expand to the 23languages of the EU.
The network, dubbed Euranet, is open to all kinds of national, regional, local, public or private radio stations (it already includes Radio Polskie, Punto Radio of Spain, Deutsche Welle, Radio Netherlands, Radio France Internationale and Radio Slovenia International)a if they meet the rules laid down by the consortium. The interactive nature of this daily programme, lasting between 30 and 60 minutes, will also be enhanced by the launch of a common internet portal in July 2008.
On 28 February, Communication Strategy Commissioner Margot Wallstrom welcomed the support which the European Commission intends to give to the consortium for five years, in strictest respect for its editorial freedom. On 14 December 2007, the Commission signed a service contract for 5.8 million per annum with the consortium coordinated by Deutsche Welle and RFI.
Erik Bettermann, Antoine Schwarz and Jan Hook, presidents, respectively, of Deutsche Welle, RFI and Radio Netherlands International, stressed to the press in Brussels the unique experience which the contributions and broader perspective of the consortium partners will bring to the citizens of the EU in lively, well-documented programmes on questions relating to Europe.
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