By 1991, the impact of commercial television was firmly established, particularly in Flanders.
, which by 1991 was flooding Belgian screens with cross-border content. The European Commission, under Jacques Delors, began the MEDIA Programme
The magazine sold out in four days. A second print run of 300,000 copies was ordered—more than the circulation of many adult newspapers. By 1991, the impact of commercial television was
1991 was also the peak of AIDS awareness in Western Europe. In Belgium, the number of HIV cases was rising sharply. The government knew that scare tactics alone didn't work. They needed entertainment and media content that could model safe behavior without inducing panic.
The Media Revolution: Belgium’s Entertainment and Information Landscape in 1991 A second print run of 300,000 copies was
To understand the voorlichting phenomenon of 1991, one must first understand the media battlefield of early-1990s Belgium.
For media historians and vintage collectors, here are the must-find items from this era: The government knew that scare tactics alone didn't work
Before 1991, television in Belgium was largely the domain of public service broadcasters like (now VRT ) for the Flemish community and RTBF for the French-speaking community. However, a landmark decree on March 27, 1991, fundamentally changed the game:
The voorlichting wave of 1991 did not end in 1991. It fundamentally altered the relationship between the Belgian government, public broadcasters, and entertainment producers.
(Extremely rare. Only 50,000 were printed. It features Wiske explaining menstruation to a confused Lambik—a surprisingly tender scene).
Another bizarre but iconic facet of 1991 Belgian voorlichting was the direct involvement of politicians in entertainment formats.