“What I love most about our community is how we keep our language going. Connecting with people all over Queensland via the Dutchies in Brisbane. Dutchies on the Sunshine Coast, Dutchies on the Gold Coast, the Belgian community in Brisbane and up and down the coast.” – Wilma Burton

In 2017 Wilma Burton was walking past the Radio 4EB Studios at Kangaroo Point when on a whim, she decided to go inside to get a timetable, with no idea that there was a Dutch Radio program in Brisbane.

In her own words: “the staff were fantastic and suggested I do a quick sight-seeing-tour through the Studios. I did! I had never seen a radio studio before.

They then suggested I come back the next day to sit in with a Dutch program. Wow. I did not know that that was possible. So, I did! I sat in with the Dutch program and within MINUTES I fell in love with making radio. I immediately signed up for the Broadcasting & Panel course and ‘Voila.’ Weeks later I was a broadcaster and panel operator and started making my own programs. To date I have made 80+ Live programs and 200+ Global programs.”

Wilma – please share some interesting things with us about the culture, language, and community your program represents?

Our group represents the Dutch community here in Brisbane and far and wide across Australia. But we also have lot of subscribers on the other side of the world (in Holland and Belgium). Not to mention all the way up the Sunshine Coast and down to the Gold Coast. And now that I think of it, New Zealand as well!

Tell us about your own program, who else is involved and what do they do?

On my own shows I am a “One Woman Show.” I love being independent and doing all the ‘work’ myself.

Tell us a little about your program?

I like to bring a very wide variety of topics to my program every week. Anything that is positive/happy and interesting and where possible also ‘funny.’  Just to bring a ‘smile’ to our listener’s faces. I never broadcast anything ‘negative or disastrous. I leave that to the TV news presenters and the newspapers. That isn’t me!

What sort of content and features do you normally include in your program (ex -news, music, interviews, comedy etc)?

The subjects of my programs are, just a few examples below (please note the translation does not do it justice!!!!)

  • Why do Boomerangs always return and other interesting questions
  • Eigen Schuld Dikke Bult (Your fault… Lump it!)
  • Marketing blunders (bungles / f**k ups)
  • 50+ is fantastic
  • Food for the future / what will we eat in the future
  • The Optimist
  • New words of 2022
  • Lies that everyone believes
  • The truth about lies
  • Figures do not lie
  • Dad’s and Daughters
  • Languages: How does Dutch and Flemish fit together
  • Planned obsolescence
  • Sand (it is fluid when you pour it, it flows in the wind, and solid when you pour it (in concrete). Go figure!
  • How does money (cash) get (officially) destroyed?
  • You know you are ‘Dutch’ when…
  • Placebo / Nocebo effect
  • Influencers (who are they/what do they represent/how do they make money)
  • Bikes in Holland (and across the world)
  • Click workers
  • How often do we ‘move’ in our lives?
  • And many many more subjects!

All music played during my program connects to the subjects I am talking about. If there is a program that does not really have any songs that represents my articles, then I play ‘funny’ songs or ‘crazy songs. Songs with ‘no’ real subject.

What’s your favourite part of your program and why?

I love the end of my programs. I (always) play the same song from Tony Christy singing ‘thank you for coming to my show’ & ‘au revoir’ & ‘auf wedersehn’, ’bedankt dat jullie erbij waren’. Many languages saying ‘goodbye’. I have to go!

What is the most popular part of your program for your listeners?

Every bit of my programs is popular because my programs are so diverse and never the same or predictable.

What is it about your program that listeners talk to you about the most?

Where do you get those subjects from? How long does it take you to research/make a program? How many hours a week do you spend on making radio programs?

What is it that appeals to you about radio?

The idea that my voice can be heard all over the world. That my family on the other side of the world can hear me and my voice and know I am talking to ‘them’.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with us about your yourself or your program?

I love what I do for Radio 4EB and for our Dutch group. We are a magic group of people with a wide variety of programs that we bring every week to our listeners. From Dutch news & events to new music. Favourite oldies to interviews within the Dutch community and much much more. Every single week we present a wide variety of programs for all ages & interests!

Radio 4EB Dutch programming goes to air live on 98.1 FM: 11am Sundays, 5pm Tuesdays, 4pm Saturdays and on ‘Global Digital’ 6pm Fridays and 5pm Saturdays.