Jacqueline Bierhorst receives WorldDAB Award for Outstanding Service

23.11.2022 by Will Jackson

This year’s WorldDAB Award for Outstanding Service has been given to Jacqueline Bierhorst, Project Director of Digital Radio Netherlands.

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.”