Radio Netherlands Worldwide, 11 May 2012 , Marco Hochgemuth: "After 65 years, Radio Netherlands Worldwide has ended its broadcasts aimed at Dutch people abroad. From messages for sailors to special programmes for expats - what has Radio Netherlands meant for the Dutch overseas? In the Netherlands, RNW is generally thought of as a ‘campsite’ radio station for holidaymakers who want to keep abreast of what’s going on at home. This ignores RNW’s other nine language services supplying information via internet, radio and partner stations abroad. These services are continuing beyond today. ... RNW made programmes on Dutch culture, music, and the Dutch language, and also produced shows aimed at emigrants and expats, and for seamen and long-distance lorry drivers. ... The internet, laptops and smartphones, but more especially the drastic cutbacks implemented by the – now caretaker – government, have all led to the end of Dutch-language broadcasts. RNW’s Dutch department has pulled out all the stops, marking the occasion with a marathon 24-hour broadcast."

Radio Netherlands Worldwide, 13 May 2012: "'With pride and some regret our ways part here. Just one last thing – thank you.' This is how an emotional Peter Veenendaal, head of the Dutch department, bid farewell to 65 years of Dutch-language broadcasts by Radio Netherlands Worldwide. The occasion was marked with a 24-hour radio marathon, with many current and former staff witnessing the service’s last few hours of broadcasting. The last two hours coincided with a lively staff party at the organization's premises in Hilversum, the Netherlands. The end of Dutch programming is the first phase of RNW’s complete overhaul, due to a 70 percent cut in its annual budget. As of 2013, RNW will focus exclusively on free speech in regions where it is lacking or under threat, particularly in Africa, the Middle East and East Asia. The RNW Africa and Afrique departments look forward to continued reporting in this spirit." With slide show.

Critical Distance weblog, 12 May 2012, Jonathan Marks: "Radio Netherlands has posted the truly superb video of the last 11 minutes of Radio Netherlands Dutch radio service, signing off with pride after 65 years of service. It was a superb send-off driven by a spectacular countdown to the big switch-of at 20 hrs UTC Friday May 11th 2012. It all ended with a burst of fireworks. The 'zero hour' moment was captured by an ANP photographer and can be viewed here. The Dutch text tells you to hold down the left mouse key and they drag to navigate right and left. ... One of the former heads of the Dutch Department was Peter Veenendaal. He told the story of the station, the people and the moments in a very powerful video projected on the side of the building HQ. World class."

Radio Netherlands Worldwide, 12 May 2012: "The last ten minutes Dutch broadcast of Radio, on Friday May 11, 2012, filmed at the building on Witte Kruislaan in Hilversum." Audio of the last seconds.

Radio Netherlands Worldwide, 11 May 2012, Eric Beauchemin: "This farewell event is attracting wide attention in the Dutch media, including this report from the Dutch public broadcaster NOS." With video, subtitles in English.

MediaPages.nl, 12 May 2012 has audio of the last 15 minutes of RNW in Dutch. Additional history of Radio Nederland Wereldomroep at Beeld en Geluid.

DX Listening Digest Yahoo! group, 11 May 2012, Kai Ludwig: "The last minutes were prerecorded, in a style not exactly matching prevalent stereotypes about Dutch radio. 5955 cut off some moments before 2000, missing the last seconds it seemed. Was a bit difficult to tell, since the ending transmission was almost blown away by Cerrik, the SARFT [Chinese broadcasting administration] branch in Albania, signing on CRI English on 5960. What a strong symbolism! ... The 'RNW 1' satellite channel now carries a looped announcement, using the RNW interval signal as bed ... . Besides advising of the closure it also suggests visiting wereldomroep.nl and bvn.nl for podcasts of the farewell broadcast." With this audio provided by Kai, including the iconic Radio Netherlands interval signal.

DX Listening Digest Yahoo! group, 12 May 2012, Victor A. Goonetilleke: "I will miss the Dutch National Anthem on Short Wave. I could never tune out until the last strains of it."

Southgate Amateur Radio News, 10 May 2012, citing Mike Terry and the British DX Club: The RNW farewell Dutch broadcast was "on 1296 kHz from Orfordness [England] for the whole 24 hours. As things stand, this may be the last ever transmission from Orfordness. After BBC World Service dropped its two hours a day of DRM on 1296 kHz in March, Radio Netherlands in Dutch has been the only user of the site (648 kHz has been silent since last year). No new clients have been announced for Orfordness, so Babcock will have to decide whether to keep the station in mothballs in the hope of a customer appearing, to sell it as a working transmitting station or to dismantle it and hand the site over to the National Trust."