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{{Short description|none}} <!-- "none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]] -->
{{More citations needed|date=August 2017}}
'''Television in Belgium''' was [[Timeline of the introduction of television in countries|introduced in 1953]] and began with one channel each in Dutch and French. The country is heavily [[cable television|cabled]], with 93% of households watching television through cable as of 2003.<ref>http://{{Cite CiteSeerX|citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi = 10.1.1.195.5529&rep=rep1&type|title =pdf The Transition to Digital Television}}</ref>
 
'''Television in Belgium''' was [[Timeline of the introduction of television in countries|introduced in 1953]] and began with one channel each in Dutch and French. The country is heavily [[cable television|cabled]], with 93% of households watching television through cable as of 2003.<ref>http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.195.5529&rep=rep1&type=pdf</ref>
 
==History==
The three [[Belgium|Belgian]] Communities – Dutch, French and German-speaking – have legal responsibility for audiovisual communication. They constitute separate markets, the common feature of which is the fact that they have been extensively cabled for three decades and are thus able to receive neighbouring countries' channels.
 
From 1930 broadcasting in Belgium was in the hands of NIR (Nationaal Institut voor Radio-omroep) / INR (Institut national de radiodiffusion). The organisation had separate services on TV and Radio in Flemish and French. In 1960 this organisation was split up into two organisation responsible to the Flemish and Walloon communities for public radio and television services. BRT<ref>{{cite web |title=VRT Geschiedenis |url=https://www.vrt.be/nl/aanbod/historiek/geschiedenis-openbare-omroep-/ |website=vrt.be}}</ref> (Belgische Radio en Televisie), now VRT (Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie), for the Flemish community and 1978, RTB<ref>{{cite web |title=Histoire RTBF |url=https://www.rtbf.be/entreprise/a-propos/histoire |website=rtbf.be}}</ref> (Radiodiffusion-télévision belge), now RTBF, for the Walloon (Francophone) community. There were also radio programmes for German-speaking Belgians who since 1965 have a separate organisation now known as BRF.<ref>{{cite web |title=BRF |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgischer_Rundfunk |website=Wikipedia}}</ref>{{Circular reference|date=September 2023}} VRT and RTBF share broadcasting facilities in Brussels, while BRF operates from Eupen. VRT broadcasts in Flanders and RTBF in Wallonia. Both RTBF and VRT broadcast in Brussels Capital Region.
Until 1978, Radio-Television Belgium ({{lang-nl|Belgische Radio- en Televisieomroep}}; {{lang-fr|Radio-Télévision Belge}}) was Belgium's national public [[television]] broadcaster. When broadcasting was devolved to the language communities in 1977, the old organization split into three separate organisations now known as [[Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroep|VRT]], [[RTBF]] and [[Belgischer Rundfunk|BRF]] respectively. VRT and RTBF share broadcasting facilities in Brussels, while BRF operates from Eupen.
 
==Channels==
===Native channels===
There are no national TV channels in Belgium. Because of the language divide, there are only channels either in Dutch or French, there is no single company operating TV channels in both the Flemish and the French part. Media laws are created and controlled on a regional level (Flemish or French). Thus the Flemish channels are controlled by Flemish law and the French-speaking ones are controlled by the French community. The public broadcasters still share a building in Brussels, a leftover from the time when the Public Television was still a national (Belgian) competence, however, they have split operations altogether with French language broadcaster RTBF occupying the right half of the building and Flemish broadcaster VRT occupying the left half of the building. They are both governed by different law and a different parliament an example of this is the fact that the French languages public broadcaster RTBF is allowed to sell advertising on television and have actual ad breaks, while the Flemish public broadcaster can only sell product placement and sponsor billboards on television. On their radio channels both are allowed to sell full ad breaks. Both public broadcasters also work in a completely different competitive environment.{{cn|date=June 2024}}
 
The two main Belgian public TV networks, [[Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie|VRT]] in the [[Flemish Community]] and [[RTBF]] in the [[French Community of Belgium]], broadcast their channels via operators using cable, satellite, IPTV and digital terrestrial television ([[DVB-T2]]). In the French community of Belgium the channels of [[RTBF]] can be received by DVB-T2 free of charge. The privately owned channels of the French community are not available on digital terrestrial television. In the Flemish part of Belgium all channels of the public tv ([[Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie|VRT]]) and the most important privately owned channels are available on all platforms (including DVB-T2), however the public TV is not available free of charge through DVB-T2 but part of a subscription service that includes the most important privately owned channels as well. This subscription is offered by [[TV Vlaanderen]] which also offers satellite tv subscriptions.
 
In the Flemish part there are three main broadcast groups: <br>
1.# [[Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie|VRT]] (the public broadcaster) which has the TV channels [[één]]VRT (one), [[Ketnet1]], [[CanvasVRT (Belgium)|Canvas]], and [[SporzaKetnet]]. <br>
2.# [[DPG Media]] (formerly [[Medialaan]] and before that VMMa) is the main Flemish commercial TV group which runs the channels [[VTM (TV channel)|vtm]], [[VTM2|vtm2]], [[VTM3|vtm3]], vtm4 and [[VTMvtm Kids]]Gold. <br>
3.# SBSPlay BelgiumMedia is the 2nd Flemish commercial group which runs the channels [[vier]] (four), [[vijf]] (five) and [[ZESPlay4 (TV channel)|zesPlay4]] (six). Early 2021 the existing channels, [[vierPlay5]] (four), [[vijfPlay6]] (five) and [[ZES (TV channel)|zes]] (six) will be rebranded into Play Vier, Play Vijf and Play Zes, additionally a new channel Play Zeven (Seven) will launchPlay7. The word Play wasis addedused because the channels are owned by [[Telenet]], the biggest digital tv provider in Flanders, and its on demand [[Video on demand|SVOD]] offer already is branded Play and [[Play More]] while its linear pay tv channels are branded [[Play Sports]] and Play More Cinema, Play More Kicks, Play More Relax, Play More Black. <br>
 
These three broadcast groups combined generate about 80% of the total market share daily with [[Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie|VRT]] being the biggest with a market share of just above 36% (all channels combined), [[DPG Media]] taking about 31% (all channels combined) and SBS Belgium taking about 12% (all channels combined). <br />
The channels [[één]] and [[VTM (TV channel)|vtm]] are the main players in terms of daily newscasts and local content with primetime being filled for 90% with local productions or local versions of international formats. Vier(4) also has started programming mainly local productions in the primetime slot. All other channels air a majority of international (mostly US made) productions in original language (English) with subtitles. The only exception is children's programming which is dubbed in Dutch. <br />
Apart from these main groups there are dozens of other local or localised versions of other channels. e.g. [[MTV]], [[Nickelodeon]], [[National Geographic]], and [[Discovery Channel]].
 
In the French part there are 3 main broadcast groups:
In the French part there are 3 main broadcast groups; [[RTBF]] (the public broadcaster) which has the TV channels [[La Une]], [[La Deux]] and [[La Trois]], [[RTL Group]] (the main French-speaking commercial TV group) which runs the channels [[RTL-TVI]], [[Club RTL]] and [[Plug RTL]], and [[Mediawan Thematics]] (formerly AB Groupe; the 2nd French-speaking commercial group) which runs the channels [[AB3]] and [[ABXplore]] (formerly [[AB4]]). RTL Group attracts about 25% of market share daily (all channels combined) and RTBF also has about 25% average daily market share (all channels combined). The channels La Une and RTL-TVI are the main channels with local newscasts and the most local programming. Local programming however is relatively limited in the French part. Primetime is often filled with international shows dubbed in French or French tv shows. Up to 70% of the French-speaking Belgians turn on a domestic channel on average every night, up from 55% a few years ago. The success of French channel TF1 makes this a more fragmented market with TF1 sometimes having up to 15% market share in the French part of Belgium. TF1 even has localised ad breaks. Local Belgian channels find it sometimes difficult to compete with French TV which has vastly larger production budgets due to the market size difference (France having an addressable audience 15 times the size of the French part of Belgium) but in the past years the local channels have been investing in local qualitative drama and entertainment which has increased market share and viewership.
#[[RTBF]] (the public broadcaster) which has the TV channels [[La Une]], [[Tipik]] (formerly [[La Deux]]) and [[La Trois]]
#RTL Group Belgium (the main French-speaking commercial TV group) which runs the channels [[RTL-TVI]], [[RTL Club]] and [[RTL Plug]]. It was owned by [[RTL Group]] before being sold in 2022.
#[[Mediawan Thematics]] (formerly AB Groupe; the 2nd French-speaking commercial group) which runs the channels [[AB3]] and [[ABXplore]] (formerly [[AB4]]).
 
In the French part there are 3 main broadcast groups; [[RTBF]] (the public broadcaster) which has the TV channels [[La Une]], [[La Deux]] and [[La Trois]], [[RTL Group]] (the main French-speaking commercial TV group) which runs the channels [[RTL-TVI]], [[Club RTL]] and [[Plug RTL]], and [[Mediawan Thematics]] (formerly AB Groupe; the 2nd French-speaking commercial group) which runs the channels [[AB3]] and [[ABXplore]] (formerly [[AB4]]). RTL Group attracts about 25% of market share daily (all channels combined) and RTBF also has about 25% average daily market share (all channels combined). The channels La Une and RTL-TVI are the main channels with local newscasts and the most local programming. Local programming however is relatively limited in the French part. Primetime is often filled with international shows dubbed in French or French tv shows. Up to 70% of the French-speaking Belgians turn on a domestic channel on average every night, up from 55% a few years ago. The success of French channel [[TF1]] makes this a more fragmented market with TF1 sometimes having up to 15% market share in the French part of Belgium. TF1 even has localised ad breaks. Local Belgian channels find it sometimes difficult to compete with French TV which has vastly larger production budgets due to the market size difference (France having an addressable audience 15 times the size of the French part of Belgium) but in the past years the local channels have been investing in local qualitative drama and entertainment which has increased market share and viewership.
 
===Foreign channels===
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Current cable customers do not need to pay an extra subscription for about 35 digital channels, but they must purchase a [[set-top box]] in order to view these digital channels and use the interactive services.
 
[[Telenet (Belgium)|Telenet]], the main cable operator in Flanders, also offers Dutch-language or Dutch-subtitled versions of [[Nick Jr. (Netherlands & Flanders)|Nick Jr.]], [[Disney XD (Netherlands & Flanders)|Disney XD]], [[Boomerang (Netherlands)|Boomerang]], [[Cartoon Network (Netherlands)|Cartoon Network]], [[Eurosport]], [[National Geographic Channel (Netherlands)|National Geographic Channel]], [[Syfy Universal (Benelux)|Syfy Universal]], [[Travel Channel (International)|Travel Channel]], [[13th Street Universal (Benelux)|13th Street Universal]], [[TCM (Netherlands)|TCM]], [[MGM Channel (European TV channel)|MGM TV]], [[E! (Europe)|E!]], [[CBS Reality (Europe)|CBS Reality]], [[History (Dutch TV channel)|History]], [[Animal Planet (Benelux)|Animal Planet]] and [[Discovery Channel (Flanders)|Discovery Channel]].
 
[[High-definition television|HDTV]] was expected from summer 2006, to coincide with the [[2006 FIFA World Cup]], but has not materialized. Despite Telenet, confirmed as part of its launch announcement of "Telenet Digital TV" on June 16, June 2005 that it would sell HDTV set-top-boxes as of June 2006, HDTV capable set-top boxes for Telenet interactive digital TV were only available in December 2007. In 2009 Telenet already offered 15 HD channels on its digital network.
 
From July 2005 Integan, a cable network operator in the outskirts of the city of Antwerp, is offering HDTV. Integan was fully integrated in the Telenet cable network from 2009 onwards.
 
===Brussels===
The main cable network operatoroperators in the [[Brussels Region]] are VOO and [[Telenet (Belgium)|Telenet]] (after the acquisition of the Belgian operations and networks of [[Numéricable]] in 2017).
 
===Wallonia===
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==Terrestrial==
Since 1 December 2018, only [[RTBF]] broadcasts its channels [[free-to-air]] on the terrestrial [[DVB-T]] network within the [[French Community of Belgium]].
 
Analogue terrestrial broadcasts using the [[PAL]] standard were phased out in favor of digital terrestrial services in 2008 (Flemish side; switched off on 1 December 2018) and 2010 (French-speaking side), for which an overwhelming majority of clients required rental of proprietary decoders.
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Analogue terrestrial TV transmission of '''VRT Eén''' and '''VRT Ketnet/Canvas''' ended on 3 November 2008. The VRT multiplex transmission from Egem moved from channel 40 (626 MHz) to channel 22 (482 MHz); that from Genk on channel 41 (634 MHz) will move to channel 25 (506 MHz), and that from Antwerpen and Schoten on channel 59 (778 MHz) will move to channel 25 (506 MHz) as well. The VRT multiplex transmissions from Brussels, Gent, Sint-Pieters-Leeuw, and Veltem will continue to operate on channel 22 (482 MHz). The move to lower frequencies may result in a slight increase in coverage area of the transmissions.
 
In May 2018, VRT announced it would cease its free-to-air DVB-T broadcasts on 1 December 2018,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2018/05/17/vrt-stopt-eind-dit-jaar-met-uitzenden-via-dvb-t/|title=VRT stopt eind dit jaar met uitzenden via DVB-T|website=vrt.be|date=17 May 2018|language=nl}}</ref> citing “changing"changing [[media consumption]] usage.' According to the broadcaster, just 45,000 people were using the DTT broadcasts as their means of reception, which was costing more than 1 million euros a year to sustain.
 
===Wallonia and Brussels===
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[[TV Vlaanderen]] offers [[DVB-S]] and [[DVB-S2]] [[satellite television]] aimed at the [[Flanders|Flemish]], Dutch speaking market, broadcasting (encrypted using [[Nagravision]]) via the [[SES Astra|Astra 1L]] and [[SES Astra|Astra 1M]] [[Satellites|Satellite]] at [[Astra 19.2°E|19.2°E]]. An updated list of channels can be found online.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tv-vlaanderen.be/|title=TV Vlaanderen|website=Tv-vlaanderen.be|access-date=30 August 2017}}</ref> It has more than 60,000 subscribers.
 
[[TéléSAT]] Numérique offers [[DVB-S]] and [[DVB-S2]] [[satellite television]] aimed at the Walloons, [[French language|French]]-speaking market, broadcasting (using [[Nagravision]]) via the [[Eutelsat]] [[Hot Bird]] satellite at 13°E and also [[SES Astra]] [[Astra 19.2°E]]. An updated list of channels can be found<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.telesat.be/uploadedFiles/Liste_des_chaines.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2015-03-29 |archive-date=2015-04-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402141742/http://www.telesat.be/uploadedFiles/Liste_des_chaines.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book
| first= David
| last= Roberts
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}}</ref> and includes RTBF La Une, RTBF La Deux, RTL-TVi, and Club RTL and Plug TV in SD and HD as well as a number of French language Belgian radio stations.
 
Both TV Vlaanderen and TeleSat are [[Belgium|Belgian]] [[subsidiaries]] of the [[M7 Group S.A.]], who also owns the Dutch DTH platform, [[CanalDigitaal]].
 
[[Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroep|VRT]] has an international channel on digital satellite ([[DVB-S]]) called [[BVN]] (as a cooperation between the Flemish [[Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroep|VRT]] and the Dutch [[Nederlandse Omroep Stichting|NOS]]).
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==Most-viewed channels==
Source: Hrvatska turistička zajednica (2022)<ref>{{cite web|title=Belgija: profil emitivnog tržišta - izdanje 2022|url=https://www.htz.hr/sites/default/files/2022-02/Belgija_profil_2022.pdf|website=htz.hr|access-date=9 June 2022}}</ref>
Source: CIM: Centrum voor Informatie over de Media (2019)<ref>{{cite web|title=Résultats public|url=http://www.cim.be/fr/media/T%C3%A9l%C3%A9vision/R%C3%A9sultats%20public|website=Cim.be|access-date=7 August 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130821080551/http://www.cim.be/fr/media/T%C3%A9l%C3%A9vision/R%C3%A9sultats%20public|archive-date=21 August 2013}}</ref>
 
{| style="width: 100%;"
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! Rank !! Channel !! Group !! Share of total viewing (%)
|-
| 1 || [[La Une]] || [[RTBF]] || 1820.21%
|-
| 102 || [[LaRTL TroisTVI]] || [[RTBFRTL Group]] || 119.45%
|-
| 23 || [[RTL TVITF1]] || [[RTLTF1 Group]] || 1812.04%
|-
| 34 || [[TF1|TFFrance 12]] || [[TF1 Group|TF 1France GroupTelevisions]] || 13.07%
|-
| 45 || [[AB3Tipik]] || [[AB GroupeRTBF]] || 64.07%
|-
| 56 || [[La DeuxAB3]] || [[RTBFAB Groupe]] || 54.15%
|-
| 67 || [[RTL Club|Club RTL]] || [[RTL Group]] || 43.15%
|-
| 78 || [[RTL Plug|Plug RTL]] || [[RTL Group]] || 1.8%
|-
| 89 || [[ABXplore|AB ExploreArte]]|| [[AB GroupArte]]e || 1.67%
|-
| 910 || [[13emeFrance Rue|13IEME RUE5]] || [[NBCUniversalFrance Televisions]] || 1.54%
|-
| 10 || [[La Trois]] || [[RTBF]] || 1.4%
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
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! Rank !! Channel !! Group !! Share of total viewing (%)
|-
| 1 || [[VRT 1|Één]] || [[Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie|VRT]] || 2930.61%
|-
| 2 || [[VTM (TV channel)|vtm]] || [[DPG Media]] || 19.35%
|-
| 3 || [[VIERPlay4 (TV channel)|Play4]] || [[Telenet (Belgium)|Telenet]] || 7.72%
|-
| 4 || [[CanvasVRT (Belgium)CANVAS|Canvas]] || [[Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie|VRT]] || 5.4%
|-
| 5 || [[VTM3|vtm3]] || [[DPG Media]] || 54.23%
|-
| 6 || [[VTM2|vtm2]] || [[DPG Media]] || 3.98%
|-
| 7 ||[[VIJFPlay5]]|| [[Telenet (Belgium)|Telenet]] || 3.0%
|-
| 8 ||vtm4 [[Play6]] || [[DPGTelenet Media(Belgium)|Telenet]] || 2.1%
|-
| 9 || [[ZES (TV channel)|Zes]] vtm4|| [[TelenetDPG (Belgium)|TelenetMedia]] || 2.0%
|-
| 10 || [[Ketnet]] || [[Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie|VRT]] || 1.53%
|}
|}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Television In Belgium}}
[[Category:Television in Belgium| ]]
[[Category:Television by country|Belgium]]