Dutch Radio 538 Dance Smash hits 1995-2011
Radio 538 (radio vijf-drie-acht) is a Dutch commercial radio
station aimed at young people. It has a broad format which
includes Top 40, dance, R&B and recent hits. As of
January-February 2011, the station has a daily audience
reach in the 7.00-19.00 time period of 11%, putting it in
second place behind ORN Radio's regional commercial network
and ahead of public broadcasters Radio 2 and Radio 3FM.
Radio 538 was founded in 1992 by a group of former employees
of Radio Veronica, led by Lex Harding. Transmissions began
on 11 December 1992 from a villa in Bussum. The name Radio
538 is a reference to the wavelength (538 m) on which
Veronica was broadcast in the seventies.
Initially, from its start in 1992 until 1995, Radio 538 was
available only via cable. A request to be allowed to
broadcast over the air was rejected at that time. Following
a media campaign during which 320,000 signatures were
collected, Radio 538 got its over-the-air frequency in 1995
– or more precisely, a collection of several regional
frequencies. In 2003, Radio 538 was granted a new nationwide
frequency, 102 MHz (FM). Radio 538 had to pay €57 million
for the new frequencies, which it can operate until 2011.
In 1995 Lex Harding started TMF (The Music Factory), a TV
station, and Erik de Zwart became the new chairman of Radio
538. At the end of 2002 Erik de Zwart left to go to
competitor Noordzee FM. Jan-Willem Brüggenwirth became the
new chairman. In December 2003 Radio 538 was sold to Advent
International, Lex Harding retaining 10% of the shares. In
May 2005 Radio 538 was sold in its entirety to John de
Mol's Talpa company. In June 2007 the Talpa holding was
sold to RTL Nederland.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_538