Recently it was announced that if it is up to station manager Simone Meijer, NPO Radio 4 will be renamed 'NPO Klassiek'. With this, jazz music will disappear from Dutch Public Broadcasting. This cannot be justified, writes Fleurine Verloop in the NRC.

The consequence is that for the approximately three hundred annually graduating jazz talents in the Netherlands, and all their predecessors, there are no more broadcasting opportunities on the radio.

'Public broadcasting has a different function than commercial radio stations and should counterbalance with educational and versatile programming that fits the social image of the Netherlands. After all, the tax money that goes to it belongs to all of us; so that diversity should be reflected on national radio.'

...'In 2022, one might expect public broadcasting to perhaps pursue a policy where diversity is at the top of the agenda, without cultural racism. I call for a diverse climate and an urgent return of jazz, improvised music -and world music-on public radio. To quote Charlie Parker, "Now's the time!"'

Read the full article here (in Dutch).

Letter of protest

If you support Fleurine's plea, as does the Royal Conservatoire, please write a letter of protest to the NPO and mail it to protest@bimpro.nl.