As early as the late 1930s, the then National Radio Broadcasting Institute (NIR) was aware that the predecessor of this broadcasting station no longer met the needs. However, plans for a new station had to be postponed until after World War II. The plans were drawn up in 1946 and the first stone of the new building was laid five years later. King Baudouin inaugurated the new project in 1952.
The new broadcasting station was specifically designed for the national and international radio broadcasts of the public broadcaster. In that period there were still many Belgians in Africa and other parts of the world. To maintain their bond with the homeland, radio programs were broadcast from here in shortwave. The transmitters had a power of 100 kW. The transmission system then was amplitude modulation (AM). Frequency modulation (FM) was still very experimental at the time and there were hardly any FM receivers.
Over the years, the transmission equipment has been frequently adapted, but technology constantly evolves. What was high-tech in 1952 has now (barely 60 years later) become industrial archeology. Today, the internet offers a much more efficient solution for reaching Belgians abroad. The outdated transmitters were no longer replaced. In 2001 the shortwave broadcasts were stopped and 10 years later the VRT also stopped broadcasting on the medium wave. The once imposing building will soon make way for a new hospital complex.
