Jacqueline Bierhorst, Project Director of Digital Radio Netherlands has been given this year’s WorldDAB Award for Outstanding Service.
The Award recognises an individual for an exceptional contribution to the roll-out of DAB digital radio and is made annually at the WorldDAB General Assembly.
It is offered in memory of Per-Erik Selemark of Swedish Radio, former vice president and chair of the Technical Committee, who died in January 1999.
Bierhorst has been a pioneer in commercial radio since 1987, specialising in distribution, marketing and content. She was project leader on the rollout of the DAB+ network in The Netherlands for all commercial broadcasters, launched in 2013.
In 2015, she became Project Director for Digital Radio Netherlands, a collaboration between public and commercial broadcasters and the Ministry of Economic Affairs, coordinating stakeholder involvement, and joint marketing of DAB+ in the Netherlands.
Bierhorst is vice president and a member of the Steering Board of WorldDAB, and a consultant for the Flemish government Department of Culture, Youth and Media on the introduction of DAB+ in Flanders.
Presenting the Award at the General Assembly, WorldDAB’s President, Patrick Hannon, said: “She’s launched DAB not once, but twice – in the Netherlands and then in the Flemish-speaking part of Belgium. She’s been an absolute star in galvanising both of those countries – the Netherlands has been the gold standard of how to launch DAB+. Not only has she been an advocate for DAB+, she’s also passionate about spreading good practice and enthusiasm for DAB+ right across the organisation and in many different countries. The phrase that springs to mind is ‘a breath of fresh air’, and I have been very grateful for her support.”
This story first appeared on RadioInfo.asia