Echo Radio  Chair Annual Report

The weekly radio programmes, web-based news and current affairs in Echo Radio’s 21st year have again been produced this year by Theo Boekel and broadcast on Access Radio stations and the internet. Reporters include Theo Boekel and Norma Kloosterman, who this year has been a Wellington correspondent. They were joined by an ‘overseas’ correspondent in the Netherlands, Marja van de Graaf. Regular news readers were Theo Boekel and Yoka Saris. Technical support was provided by Martin van Urk and Raymond Farrelly. Any glance at what appears on the Echo Radio web site will show what a great job this small team of dedicated volunteers does. But they could not manage without financial sponsors. These are The New Zealand Lotteries Commission, The Canterbury Community Trust, the Pub Charity and not least of all The Friends of Echo Radio. Every year too the Netherlands Society, Christchurch makes a substantial and welcome donation. As last year a similar grant was also made by the Wellington Netherlands Society. Our sincere thanks to all these people and institutions.

As is obviously from a look at the Echo Radio web site, the technology for video and audio processing improves all the time and this year has seen Echo Radio’s computer and software resources enhanced by a special grant from the Lotteries Commission allowing the purchase of a professional grade Macintosh computer and Final Cut software. These provide opportunities to enhance production even further.

In the news this year, Echo Radio was present at a significant meeting in Hamilton examining the future of the Dutch community in New Zealand. This was the outcome of a number of meetings and a great deal of organisation in which Norma Kloosterman played a significant part. The way in which Dutch language and culture will develop in New Zealand are significant matters. Both Theo Boekel and Norma Kloosterman attended and provided those who were not able to attend with an account of the discussion. It will be interesting to see what the outcome of this conference will be and what part the Dutch language media may play.

Theo Boekel also interviewed Maxime Verhagen, the Dutch Foreign Minister, who, as well as indicating that the Netherlands and New Zealand often sat close together by virtue of the way the alphabet is organised also indicated that the Netherlands and New Zealand share many core values and it was therefore important to maintain close ties. Mr Verhagen found a visit to Ons Dorp in Auckland interesting in that he was able to get first hand accounts of the way in which the lives of the migrants in ‘Ons Dorp’ have been lived after emigrating from the Netherlands. Clearly this was not something that he knew about before coming to New Zealand. He also indicated his pride in the contribution the migrants had made to New Zealand society.

Weekly bulletins of news and current affairs from the Netherlands and news from the Dutch community in New Zealand are the staple of Echo Radio. But to those who listen to the programme, it may not be apparent how forward-looking Echo Radio is as a broadcaster. While the main media outlets in New Zealand proceed along traditional lines, Echo Radio has pursued advanced technology first by using the satellite link from Radio Nederland and now weekly links with its commentator in the Netherlands, including pod-casts and downloadable video from its web site in a way that traditional media are just catching up with. This makes the programme freely accessible all over the world and people do log in to the programme from places other that New Zealand. This way Echo Radio plays a part in keeping a significant Dutch voice available on air and internet internationally.

 

 

(Prof) Koen Kuiper PhD, DSc

 

Date: 26th April 2009