Broadcast Partners was founded in 1979 in Terneuzen with a primary market focus in Belgium and the Northern part of France. Here, transmitters and tranmission equipment was sold to and maintained on behalf of regional radio stations. In contrast to many other European markets at the time, these countries were liberalized (so-called "Radio Libre").

Technical services were needed and Broadcast Partners supplied complete transmission systems and related complementary equipment. After a transmission system was sold to a station in Antwerp in 1979, founder and CEO Robert-jan van der Hoeven came into contact with clients in the North Western part of France.

From a young age, co-founder and CTO Steven Hamelink had developed an appreciation for transmission technology and electronics. From this perspective, he became partner in the organization.

Traditionally, like many European markets, spectrum was allocated inefficiently in the Netherlands. Until the nineties there was no need for efficient allocation of available spectrum in the FM-band. National public broadcasters were the only parties that needed to be accomodated. The Dutch government, supported by Nozema, initially refuses requests for FM frequencies from commercial parties on the grounds that they are simply not available. The technical expertise of Broadcast Partners is involved in what quickly became a political and legal battle fought by commercial radio stations. Additional frequency rights are obtained solely by using redundant or non-used frequencies in public networks. Sky Radio and Radio 538 manage to obtain the frequencies 100.7 MHz and 103.0 MHz from the public frequency pool. During the legal proceedings, Broadcast Partners shows that these frequencies can be missed without losing coverage for public broadcasting. Without success, the public broadcasters aided by Nozema try to regain these frequency rights.

Research by Broadcast Partners meanwhile also indicates that there are many more opportunties for commercial radio broadcasting.

In 1996 the Dutch government assigns a research for possibilities of re-allocation of the Dutch FM-band to TNO. The results, presented in 1998, prove to be disappointing and even impossible to implement. Broadcast Partners concludes this in a report, subsequently agreed upon by the state and other relevant parties. In the same report, Broadcast Partners sets out the guidelines for an alternative frequency plan. In april 1999 this is followed by a proposal for a new Zerobase frequency plan.

This proposal formed the basis of the current allocation of commercial frequencies in the Netherlands. Spectrum allocated to commercial radio grows from 3 frequencies in 1992 tot more than 250 in 2003 (!)

Since 1997, knowledge and expertise in the field of frequency planning is extended with the arrival of Henk Milius to Broadcast Partners as manager network planning. Milius brings an extensive experience as frequency planner, an area of expertise he had been working in since 1982. For example, he was involved with the planning conference of 1984, during which international spectrum in FM was re-allocated.

Parallel to the consultancy activities, Broadcast Partners develops its interests as secondary network operator. From 1 January 1998, five out of seven commercial networks are managed by Broadcast Partners.

In May 2000 the Zerobase frequency plan is presented by Broadcast Partners and Nozema. This report contains a number of possible scenarios, in which available spectrum is allocated between seven and ten national commercial networks (along from 100% coverage for five public networks). Following several intermediate adjustments, a scenario for nine national commercial networks prevails.

Internationally Broadcast Partners is expanding quickly. In September 2001 Broadcast Partners is chosen to build and maintain the network Q-Music in Flanders (Belgium). Broadcast Partners realises the network with great speed and accuracy: within a month the first transmitter is on-air and 90% of the network is completed only six months later.

The success van Q-Music is followed by the arrival of 4FM in December 2002, the second national commercial network in Flanders. Broadcast Partners succeeds in building a high-quality network in little time: within a week, between Christmas and New Years Eve, eight transmitter sites are built.

2003 is the year of the implementation phase of Zerobase in the Netherlands. In November the Dutch activities are complemented with the realization of a network for Talpa Radio International in Denmark (Radio 100FM).