Spot On! Four Flemish media groups join forces for a podcast.

Podcast

Aug. 3

For the first time, VRT, DPG Media, Mediahuis, and Play Media are collaborating on a single podcast. Over the course of four episodes, well-known figures and experts by experience speak candidly about love, identity, fear, and the courage to be yourself out loud.

Antwerp Pride is celebrating its nineteenth edition this year, with the theme “Fearless.” From August 5 through 9, Antwerp will be all about visibility, solidarity, and the freedom to be who you are, culminating in the annual parade on Saturday. This year’s theme is accompanied by a first-of-its-kind event that further reinforces its significance.

For the first time, Flanders’ four largest media companies are joining forces on a single collaborative project. VRT, DPG Media, Mediahuis, and Play Media are jointly launching the podcast *Spot On!*, a four-part series that brings the stories and diversity within the LGBTQIA+ community to the attention of as wide an audience as possible. The fact that these media groups are collaborating across their own boundaries makes this podcast more than just a series of conversations: it sends a shared message that these issues matter and should be open for discussion.

A conversation that begins in the dark

The concept is as simple as it is disarming. For each episode, three guests take their seats around a table in a completely dark room. At first, they don’t know who they’re sitting across from. Only after a brief introduction do the lights come on, and the call goes out: “Spot on!” Thanks to this approach, the participants engage in conversation without prejudice or distraction. What follows are candid stories about fear and insecurity, but also about love and the strength to be yourself out loud. Nathalie Delporte keeps the conversations on track.

Participants include singer Christoff, TV hosts Dina Tersago and Siska Schoeters, news anchor Wim De Vilder, actress Daphne Agten, Professor Guy T'Sjoen, former politician Jan Peumans, and "Real Housewife of Antwerp" Annelies Schetters, along with a number of experts who will share their personal stories.

Four episodes, four conversations

Episode 1 — Annelies Schetters, Guy T'Sjoen, and Jan Peumans

A conversation about growing up as an intersex person, about the path to starting a family for same-sex couples, and about how tolerant society really is today.

Episode 2 — Siska Schoeters, Wim De Vilder, and Matthias Vandenbulcke

Three generations talk about coming out and their parents’ reactions, and about raising children without passing on traditional gender roles.

Episode 3 — Christoff, Dina Tersago, and Mohammed "Mo" Urus

About how difficult it can be to talk about your sexual orientation at home, and about how you talk to your own children about relationships. Lindsay, Christoff’s sister, also shares her thoughts.

Episode 4 — Daphne Agten, Dries Lenaerts, and Jerôme Plattenbos

About hateful comments on social media, dating and safety, and the visibility of LGBTQIA+ characters in children's programs.

Why This Matters

The fact that four competing media companies are joining forces to support this project aligns perfectly with the “Fearless” theme. It shows that stories from within the LGBTQIA+ community deserve a place among a broad audience, and that visibility and the open discussion of doubt, identity, and love are not marginal issues, but something that concerns us all. That is exactly why Antwerp Pride exists, and that is exactly why this podcast is a wonderful first step to take.