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| Type | Broadcastradio andtelevision |
|---|---|
| Country | |
| Availability | National |
| Headquarters | Brussels, Belgium |
| Owner | Government of Belgium |
Launch date | 18 June 1930; 95 years ago (1930-06-18) |
| Dissolved | 18 May 1960; 65 years ago (1960-05-18) |
| Replaced by | Belgisch Radio en Televisie, Nederlandse Uitzendingen (BRT) andRadiodiffusion-Télévision Belge, Emissions françaises (RTB) |
TheNational Institute of Radio Broadcasting (French:Institut national de radiodiffusion, INR;Dutch:Nationaal Instituut voor de Radio-Omroep, NIR) was the nationalpublic service broadcasting company inBelgium between 1930 and 1960.[1]
Inspired by the precedent of theBritish Broadcasting Corporation, the INR-NIR providedradio broadcasting in French and Dutch and was intended to respond to the rise of private radio broadcasters over the previous decade.[1] Although funded almost exclusively with government funds from radio licenses, the organisation did not have abroadcasting monopoly.[1] It was housed in theFlagey Building, also known as the Radio House (Maison de Radio), a purpose-built building in the"paquebot" style ofArt Deco, inBrussels.[2][3]
Although ceasing broadcasts at the time of theGerman invasion of Belgium in May 1940, the INR-NIR was subsequently restored in the postwar years. It later expanded its remit to include television broadcasts which commenced in 1953. It was managed under the auspices of theMinistry for Post, Telegraph, and Telephone until 1959 and subsequently theMinistry of Cultural Affairs. It was split along linguistic lines in 1960 with the creation of theBelgisch Radio en Televisie, Nederlandse Uitzendingen (BRT) andRadiodiffusion-Télévision Belge, Emissions françaises (RTB).[1]