In 2014, DH Radio invited itself into the Belgian radio landscape. Eight years later, it’s not the end of the adventure but a page that turns to write a new one from this Monday, August 29th. Under a new name: LN Radio. A change of name to mark the rapprochement with LN24 television and to reinforce the identity of the audiovisual offer of the IPM group (The DH, La Libre Belgique, The Future, Paris Match, Mosquito, LN24 and LN Radio). What destabilize the faithful listeners of DH Radio? Philippe Deraymaeker, the station manager, reassures. “The DNA of DH Radio is largely present in that of LN Radio. We keep the Music & News side, with always the music to have fun. It’s been six months that the playlist of DH Radio evolves to lead us towards that of LN Radio. We have removed certain rough edges that could sometimes offend the ear. The desire is to remain a radio station with a positive and luminous musical program, which is also reflected in the new design of the antenna. We are targeting an audience of adults and young adults, which means that we will go back a little more in the 1980s without going beyond.
What about the music “made in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation” which was a hobbyhorse of DH Radio?
“We are not changing anything! We have developed a real partnership with the artists of the FWB for six years. We will continue at least as strong as today. Belgian Time will continue between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m., as as the LN Radio discovery of the week and the interviews that go with it (in video version on the LN Radio Facebook page). The Belgian-FWB anchorage remains at least as important as it was so far.”
The change, it is rather on the side of the information that one finds it?
“There will be more news, indeed. And they will be enriched with the synergies that we have been developing for some time with LN24. At 7 a.m., 8 a.m. and at noon, the news will be broadcast on the radio. But be careful , it is written to be compatible with the radio. The midday news will also be a little different from the others, a little longer, with a more regional focus developed in collaboration with L’Avenir. It will be presented by Emmanuel Beugnet, a radio voice who therefore leaves in the morning. There too, there is continuity.
TV enriches radio. Is the opposite also true?
“Of course. The three-minute news flashes offered during the day on LN Radio (including the weekend) will be televised on LN24. As for the morning radio, in addition to the 7 am and 8 am news, the political interview with Martin Buxant made for LN24 will be broadcast on the radio at 7.30 a.m. And at 8.30 a.m., there will always be a cultural interview, as I have already offered in the past on DH Radio.It will be present simultaneously on television and radio. I will receive actors, musicians, writers, etc.”
What happens to Maxime Binet who was previously present in the morning on the radio?
“The biggest new feature on LN Radio is the arrival of an entire program for Maxime Binet at the start of the evening. Until now, We Need to Talk was a six-minute radio sequence broadcast in the morning at 7.30 a.m. From now on, it is a one-hour program, both on television and radio. From 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., he will receive various guests who will come to debrief the day’s news. I’m talking here about current affairs in direct contact with people’s daily lives. This meeting will be carried out in collaboration with the editorial staff of La DH. The journalists will be columnists and they will bring this very concrete anchoring, this proximity. I would also blame myself not to mention the arrival of two new web radio stations in addition to that of DH Radio, renamed LN Radio. They are more daring. The first is exclusively dedicated to French-language rap, the second is devoted to rock metal. It is a a genre that is not very well represented in the media, but which attracts a phenomenal audience. Just look at how quickly tickets for Rammstein concerts are bought! There’s a real audience for that.”
LN Radio will broadcast on FM but also on DAB+.
Brand new studios
The transformation of DH Radio into LN24 is not just a change of name and logo. The team will also evolve in a brand new setting capable of meeting the requirements of both radio and television. “Who says radio-television mix says infrastructure made for, emphasizes Philippe Deraymaeker. DH Radio’s large studio was already equipped with cameras. There are more and better ones in our new facilities. The decor has been redone, screen walls have been added, everything is bigger. From now on, all studios at IPM will be compatible for both radio and television. That’s convergence.”
Impossible not to ask the director of LN Radio how he feels two days before the launch of this new adventure. “It’s a crazy challenge but it’s also super exciting. I’m very lucky to have spent my career learning and trying new things.” An enthusiasm shared by the entire team around him.