This episode of ‘Ijsbreker’ came about following the creation of two new magazines from the ashes of the Nieuw Vlaams Tijdschrift: the Nieuw Wereldtijdschrift (NWT) and Diogenes. The first one was represented by its three chief editors (Paul Dewispelaere, Herman De Coninck, Piet Piryns), the second by editor-in-chief Georges Ade and collaborator Sven-Claude Bettinger. Through radio links the two separate locations were connected live with the studio, where two critics - Frans Boenders and Freddie De Vree – asked questions about the impulses and future plans of both magazines, on the assimilation between avant-garde and tradition, journalism and literature and, finally, the underlying convictions and political ties. Whereas Diogenes gave of a smell of outspoken Flemish-nationalism, NWT was more anointed with socialism – so it didn’t come as a surprise that the respective editors were not about to treat each other very nicely. The founders of NWT themselves preferred the term ‘left, non-party-related, progressive signature’. At first they had wanted to become a Flemish Vanity Fair, to turn against rampant non-news, hollow stories, through a self-righteous combination of literature and journalism – a reciprocal challenge. As De Coninck once wrote: “news is noted, literature is scrutinized. One is for your information, the other is a gift." Part of the BRT (Belgian radio and television broadcast network) television series ’Ijsbreker’ (’Icebreaker’).

Original broadcast date: 14/03/1984.