On Dec. 17 Dutch public broadcaster AVROTROS announced that Willem van Kooten (a.k.a. Joost den Draaijer) would receive the 2018 Marconi Oeuvre Award.
A former radio personality, van Kooten is credited with having introduced “hit” radio to the Netherlands, including the use of jingles, fillers, intros and horizontal programming.
“Van Kooten mastered radio making like no other; always full of energy, bravura, passion and perfect timing,” stated the Marconi Jury in its report. “This made him the ultimate example for later generations of disc jockeys. They all practiced the DJ profession within the standard that Van Kooten may have unconsciously set in the Netherlands in the mid 1960s.”
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Organized each year by AVROTROS, the Marconi Awards honors top talent and programs. This edition’s awards ceremony will take place on Jan. 31 during a Radio Gala.
The Marconi Oeuvre Award has existed since 2004. Previous winners include Adam Curry (2017), Tineke de Nooij (2016) and Ruud de Wild (2015).
