| Popis: |
As in most European countries Radio broadcasting laid its foundations in Belgium in the 1920s. The first wavelength Belgium received in the 1920s was preserved for a pseudo official, commercial radiostation, which broadcasted in the French language. In a country where a Flemish - Dutch-speaking - majority was struggling for its cultural position and language rights, this situation was soon countered by Flemish initiatives. Six years after the start of the French-speaking radiostation a second wavelength for Belgium was assigned to Flemish broadcasts. The Flemish broadcasters to whom this wavelength became available used this opportunity to make radio into a display of Flemish culture and thus into a means to further emancipate Flanders culturally. They contributed to this emancipation partly by enforcing the idea of a 'Flemish identity' on a massive scale, before not available to Flanders. Just like previous research showed that public television in Flanders (since 1953) invested in creating a national Flemish culture to educate people as Flemish citizens, interwar radio engaged in the establishment of a strong Flemish culture to contribute to the Flemish emancipation. What makes the situation of the interwar years different from the later period however is that the interwar radio broadcasts in Belgium were delivered not only by the public broadcaster itself, but also by political broadcasting organizations. Each having its own day to broadcast each of these broadcasters tried to maintain an image of Flemish culture and identity, rooted in the pillarized cultural life of Flanders. The doctoral research that is currently conducted by Lieselotte Goessens studies how music was part of the discourse of the political broadcasters (catholic, socialist, liberal and Flemish-nationalist) on Flemish emancipation. Based on the radio magazines and music schedules of these broadcasters the research studies how different Flemish identities were constructed through these media (radio and radio magazines), how different repertoires were labeled 'Flemish' and why, and how 'Flemish' was one of the central concepts that led to disputes between the different broadcasters, all claiming to be the representative of 'the Flemish people'. |
