Vyvlander National Broadcasting
| File:VNB logo.png VNB's official logo | |
Native name | Vyvluder Nazonal Brydkaasden |
|---|---|
| Government-owned corporation (LK) | |
| Industry | media |
| Founded | 2 July 1919 |
| Founder | Mafias Vrohden, Baron of Enjreberg |
| Headquarters | Vyvlundsaas, Vlud , |
Area served | Predominantly Vyvland, also Esquarium |
Key people | Fiodor Rangkelzender, Director of Programming Rypret Seldon, Corporate Manager |
| Products | Broadcasting, radio, websites |
| Services | Television, online, radio |
| Revenue | µ2.21 billion (2012/13) |
| Owner | Publicly owned with employee shareholdings |
Number of employees | 11,200 (2011/12) |
| Website | http://www.vnb.vy |
Vyvlander National Broadcasting (Vyvlander: Vyvluder Nazonal Brydkaasden, abbreviated as VNB in English and Vyvlander) is a government-funded national broadcaster in Vyvland. It broadcasts through the media of television and radio, in addition to posting news and weather on its website, which is the most-viewed .vy domain website. VNB runs three nationwide Vyvlander language channels, in addition to one in English and one in Dutch, and two news channels in all three languages.
VNB produces approximately half of the content aired on its radio and television stations, including all its news, weather and sport programmes. It also produces documentaries and drama shows, including well-known soap opera Yses Sdad. Other well-known programmes include Alvred, a drama series from the point of view of a serial killer, which is regularly watched by over five million viewers domestically, with international viewers providing much more.
History
Founded in 1919 by wealthy aristocrat Mafias Vrohden, Baron of Enjreberg, VNB originally started as a small independent radio station before being bought by the Vyvlander government in 1926. During partition, the southern arm of VNB disintegrated, being replaced by government and private stations including NVTV (Nazonal Vyvluder Televezon), which mainly showed propaganda and government-created films. VNB remained in the North, although during the so-called 'Royal Fever' period of the 1940s under the Haarden government, it was officially changed to KNVB or Royal National Vyvlander Broadcasting, although VNB continued to appear as its initials on- and off-screen. KNVB remained the broadcaster's official name until 1991, well after the monarchy was formally abolished. During the 1990s, VNB expanded from two television channels to four (the fourth was later discontinued), and began to broadcast in English and one in Helish, while its website was launched in 2002.
Operations
VNB runs four full-time Vyvlander language television channels:
- VNB1, the company's flagship station, showing soap operas, quiz shows and popular dramas in addition to news.
- VNB2, more factual and documentary-orientated, the second VNB channel still shows popular programmes, often including foreign imports
- VNB3, a combination of arts programming and serious dramas or series
- VNB Ongeuengs (VNB News), a 24-hour news channel solely in Vyvlander, covering domestic and international news.
Domestically and internationally, VNB also produces three other channels:
- VNBE, an English language station which broadcasts domestically and internationally, often showing well-known dubbed or subtitled Vyvlander programming
- VNB4, a Dutch language channel catering to Vyvland's Helish-speaking community
- VNB News, a bilingual English-Helish news channel.
VNB also runs one talk radio station and two music stations, in addition in owning a holding in Radio Klasik, a for-profit classical music radio station.
Funding
VNB is funded through television licence fees, which are charged to all television-owning households or businesses capable of receiving VNB's channels, and a government grant equal to 35% of the broadcaster's operating costs. Some funding is also obtained through the sale of merchandise and past series of programmes, while income is also obtained via the selling of rights for VNB-made programmes to foreign broadcasters. A new system is being introduced whereby the fee charged to each household or business varies slightly depending on the number of hours watched, after being watered down from direct proportionality after negative reactions to the proposal.
Impartiality
As it is government-funded, VNB is required to stay neutral on political issues; these laws have ben heavily enforced since the Sabengen Scandal in 1998. This incident occurred during pre-election programming, when Tomas Sabengen, a VNB political editor, declared vehement support for the policies of Conservative Presidential candidate Lurs Anterbiden, even though voting for the election was not scheduled to close for another four hours. Anterbiden went on to win the election by a slim margin, prompting swathes of complaints of bias to VNB and demands for a recall election. Sabengen was subsequently fired.