After frequency perils: Radio Minerva celebrates 40th birthday with three-day gala ball in Antwerp Hilton | Antwerp
AntwerpIt’s going to be a minor birthday party. But now that Radio Minerva has regained its recognition, the iconic station is dusting off plans to prepare for its 40th anniversary. And Minerva sees it big: on September 23, 24 and 25 real gala performances will be organized in – yes – the chic Hilton hotel. If you want, you can even stay there afterwards.
Admittedly, Radio Minerva has had a bad year. At the end of January, the well-known senior broadcaster, which reaches about 60,000 daily from a barracks on the Left Bank in 1982, started its recognition after a legal battle with Radio FG. The latter preyed on Minerva’s frequency package (98.0 FM) and went to the Council of State.
Radio FG found that mistakes had been made in the distribution of frequencies by former media minister Sven Gatz (Open Vld) in 2019, and even so by the Council of State. Current Media Minister Benjamin Dalle (CD&V) had to approve a new recognition within seven months. If that didn’t happen, Radio Minerva would disappear from the ether.
Sigh of relief
Minerva’s employees and experiences breathed a huge sigh of relief last month when Minister Dalle announced – live on the seniors channel, please – that Minerva may stay. The station was the clear winner after a new assessment procedure for the frequency package.
Now that the frequency troubles are finally behind us, Minerva wants to focus on something much happier: the 40th existence of the senior broadcaster. Minerva is organizing a real gala weekend especially for this occasion. In concrete terms, an afternoon evening with performances will be held on September 23, 24 and 25. On the line-up: artists such as Slongs, Yannick Bovy, Luc Caals and Nicoline Hummel.
Three-course dinner
Place of appointment: the chic Hilton hotel on the Groenplaats. The public can choose to only see the show, but can also opt for a full VIP GALA formula with a three-course dinner before the show. And striking: there is even the possibility to stay overnight at the Hilton.
“The fact that all the fuss about preserving our frequency and our survival coincided with our 40th anniversary only made it more sour, but well, all right,” says Frank Boekhoff, chairman of Radio Minerva. “What gave us great pleasure already was the support we received from the most unexpected development and especially from our experiences and friends. We therefore felt that we should not be left behind. The gala will be an evening for everyone, just like the radio is there for everyone.”
Tickets are on sale from Thursday via www.radiominerva.be.
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