AMSTERDAM — BNR Nieuwsradio has decided on a novel approach to encourage people to listen to Holland’s only 24-hour news broadcaster – publishing fake news items.

The station is running the bogus news as part of a national advertising campaign in newspapers, magazines and on billboards.

The idea behind the campaign is to boost low audience figures by showing BNR Nieuwsradio features more than just business news.

The news items will be things that haven’t actually happened, but could, according to Xylander Kroon, Head of Marketing and Product Development at the FD group.

The FD group publishes financial newspaper Het Financieele Dagblad and operates internet business site FD.nl as well as BNR Nieuwsradio, which has its own website.

The station — formerly called Business Nieuws Radio — scrapped several music programmes and moved to the 24-hour news format in February this year.

“We want to attract attention, but also we want to show what we can do with our station and website as we are on top of the news night and day,” Kroon was quoted as saying on radio.nl.

[Copyright Expatica News 2004]

Subject: Dutch News