VRT Radio 1

VRT Radio 1 is the Flemish public broadcaster's news and talk backbone, and it doesn't pretend otherwise. Drive-time slots live and die by the bulletin, with interviews, political debate, and sports coverage that take their time. That's the point. Between all the talk there's still pop, and the picks are sharper than you'd expect: Belgian acts like Balthazar and Selah Sue sit next to the usual international names. Some panel discussions run long and lose the thread. Not for everyone. The afternoon interviews, though, are genuinely well made. The news agenda tilts domestic: Flemish politics, lo…