Ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of French-speaking Belgian media? Right here stands the RTBF. It is the Radio-télévision belge de la Communauté française. RTBF is the public service broadcaster for the French-speaking Community of Belgium. Its headquarters are in Brussels.
The RTBF shares its Brussels headquarters with VRT. VRT is its Flemish counterpart. People often call the shared headquarters “Reyers”. This nickname comes from the avenue’s name. The avenue is Boulevard Auguste Reyers or Auguste Reyerslaan.
RTBF has a rich history. It started as the Belgian National Broadcasting Institute. This was in 1930. Back then it was called INR in French and NIR in Dutch. In 1938, it moved to the Flagey Building. The Flagey Building is also known as the Radio House. It featured Art Deco architecture.
In 1940, the German invasion forced the INR to stop broadcasting. The occupying forces renamed it Radio Bruxelles. Some INR staff went to London. From there, they broadcast as Radio Belgique. They broadcast under the Office de Radiodiffusion Nationale Belge.
After the war, the INR and RNB merged. This happened in 1945. The INR then became one of the founders of the European Broadcasting Union in 1950. Television broadcasts began in 1953. There were only two hours of programming each day.
In 1960, the INR became RTB. RTB moved to the Reyers building in 1967. The first RTB color broadcast was in 1971. It was Le Jardin Extraordinaire. News broadcasts followed in color two years later.
Broadcasting became a community concern in 1977. It was no longer just a national government issue. The French-language section of RTB became RTBF. A second television channel was created. It was named RTbis. In 1979, RTbis became Télé 2.
RTBF helped create TV5 in 1984. It worked with French channels TF1, Antenne 2, FR3 and Swiss channel TSR. Télé 2 became Télé 21 in 1988. In 1989, RTBF and Vivendi created Canal Plus TVCF. This became Canal Plus Belgique in 1995.
In 2010, RTBF adopted new branding. It became RTBF.be. The “.be” emphasized the importance of new media.
The RTBF condemned the closure of Greece’s public broadcaster in 2013. By 2011, RTBF planned to phase out analogue systems in Wallonia.
In 2006, RTBF played a prank. It broadcast a fake news report. The report claimed Flanders had declared independence. This was called the “Bye Bye Belgium” hoax.
RTBF operates several television channels. These include La Une, Tipik, and La Trois. It also runs Arte Belgique. RTBF offers video on demand. This is available through RTBF Auvio since 2016.
RTBF also has many radio channels. These include La Première and VivaCité. You can also listen to Musiq’3 and Classic 21. RTBF Mix is also available.
The Media and Journalism Research Center says RTBF has editorial independence. However, there have been controversies. In 2024, a minister criticized RTBF for a segment on racism. In 2025, RTBF delayed broadcasting Donald Trump’s speech. This caused further controversy.
RTBF’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest is also notable. Belgium has participated 65 times. RTBF is one of the participating broadcasters. Belgium won once in 1986. Sandra Kim sang “J’aime la vie”. RTBF and VRT alternate participation.
So, as you stand here, remember the RTBF. It is more than just a building. It’s a vital part of Belgium’s cultural identity. It has evolved with the times while remaining a key source of information.