Do you also want to hear more World Music on the radio?

Sign the petition at: http://www.wereldmuziek.petities.nl/

World music has become an ‘endangered genre’ at Public Broadcasting Companies in the Netherlands. Programs like De Wandelende Tak (literally: The Stick Insect, on air since 1984), Tchongcast (internet & podcast) and the World Music Charts Europe have been cut from schedules already or will soon be faded out. Reasonable amounts of world music were brought to us by Radio 6, but since mid-July 2009 Radio 6 has a new profile as the Jazz Station. Exit world music from daytime broadcasts. The Concertzender has been a vital showcase for world music – now this, too, has been booted out of public broadcasting.

None of this is in harmony with the reality of the world music scene – because it’s in full bloom!! While broadcasts are being shut down, audiences are growing and there is ever-increasing interest on the part of the press, festival programmers and Dutch performance venues. Musicians also find themselves on fertile ground: the crossover involving jazz, pop, classical and world music has generated inspiring and innovative sounds. Zuco 103, Izaline Calister, New Cool Collective and the Amsterdam Klezmer Band are just a few of many examples which distinguish the sector. For all these reasons: the members of the World Music Forum have launched a petition to convince officials that world music – just like pop, classical and jazz – is entitled to exposure by the public broadcasting companies. We look forward to conversations with their planners and the opportunity of presenting our many concrete proposals. But our plan needs ‘measurable’ support from within and outside the sector: support in the form of signatures.

The time to act is NOW! The media profile of World Music needs to be restored! You can help us by signing the public petition here: http://www.wereldmuziek.petities.nl and sharing this message far and wide with colleagues and associates who support the World Music Sector. The petition and signatures will be delivered to the policy-makers in the Dutch Public Broadcasting system. Thank you!
For more information: http://saveworldmusic.blogspot.com