In its early years, VTM Nieuws was known for its relative innovations: its main bulletin, broadcast at 7pm, was presented by two newscasters, which was hitherto unheard of within Flanders; it was also the first Flemish news programme to broadcast a bulletin in the afternoon, and to have its newscasters present from within the newsroom.

At the turn of the century, however, viewing figures began to decline, due to modernisation efforts by the VRT.

In 2004, VTM Nieuws was renamed to Het Nieuws, as part of a major rebranding exercise: a new studio was built, featuring a large videowall; all bulletins were now presented by one newscaster, and several new on-screen faces were introduced.

[1] This led to a rise in ratings, although the effect wore off after a few years.

In 2013, Het Nieuws was renamed back to VTM Nieuws, bringing with it a new logo and studio; a new editorial direction was also introduced, with more attention being paid to political, international and cultural news.