Small yet powerful

Belgium, with a population of only 10 million, lives in the shadow of bigger, richer neighbors. But, small countries can be creative with their coffers and often possess influence that belies their size. This generalization extends to the broadcast world, where Philippe van Meerbeeck, commissioning editor for news and culture channel Canvas - the second arm of Belgium's Flemish-language pubcaster VRT - oversees a relatively tiny budget of 4,545,000 euros (US$5,287,000), devoted exclusively to docs.

November 1, 2003

Belgium, with a population of only 10 million, lives in the shadow of bigger, richer neighbors. But, small countries can be creative with their coffers and often possess influence that belies their size. This generalization extends to the broadcast world, where Philippe van Meerbeeck, commissioning editor for news and culture channel Canvas - the second arm of Belgium's Flemish-language pubcaster VRT - oversees a relatively tiny budget of 4,545,000 euros (US$5,287,000), devoted exclusively to docs.