News
18 | 01 | 2010
Netherlands Public Broadcasting scaling back to 15 broadcasters
The public broadcasting organizations have agreed to work together to bring the number of participants within the national public broadcasting system down to a maximum of 15 in the year 2015. The intention is to maintain control and allow new participants the possibility of entering the arena of public broadcasting. The present public system recognizes 24 participants.
Henk Hagoort, chairman of the NPO Management Board, revealed this decision on January 7th in his New Year’s Speech. Hagoort further warned that there was a threat of political interference by the Dutch parliament in public broadcasting programming: “There have been too many questions raised in parliament aimed at directly influencing the programming. That is not a good development.”
The NPO is at present involved in discussions with Minister Plasterk of the Department of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) as part of the long term exploration for the future of public broadcasting after the year 2015.
A maximum of 15 broadcasters after 2015
Hagoort made it very clear that new broadcasting associations and therefore new groups in society must have the possibility of entering the public broadcasting system. “However we want to prevent this system of becoming fragmented by the slow but steady growth of the numbers of participants. We begin next season with 24 broadcasters. This number has been growing for decades and everyone knows it’s time to reverse the trend. Therefore, all 24 have agreed to work towards a maximum of 15 broadcasters in the year 2015. This is possible with the mergers of existing broadcasters, large and small. The merger announced between NPS, Teleac and RVU is an important step on the way.”
Distance between politics and broadcasting
Hagoort pointed out that politics had to stay out of influencing programme content: “this system with its independent broadcasters is a perfect buffer against unwanted influence from political parties in programme content. That development unfortunately is widespread today in many European countries."
Henk Hagoort, chairman of the NPO Management Board, revealed this decision on January 7th in his New Year’s Speech. Hagoort further warned that there was a threat of political interference by the Dutch parliament in public broadcasting programming: “There have been too many questions raised in parliament aimed at directly influencing the programming. That is not a good development.”
The NPO is at present involved in discussions with Minister Plasterk of the Department of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) as part of the long term exploration for the future of public broadcasting after the year 2015.
A maximum of 15 broadcasters after 2015
Hagoort made it very clear that new broadcasting associations and therefore new groups in society must have the possibility of entering the public broadcasting system. “However we want to prevent this system of becoming fragmented by the slow but steady growth of the numbers of participants. We begin next season with 24 broadcasters. This number has been growing for decades and everyone knows it’s time to reverse the trend. Therefore, all 24 have agreed to work towards a maximum of 15 broadcasters in the year 2015. This is possible with the mergers of existing broadcasters, large and small. The merger announced between NPS, Teleac and RVU is an important step on the way.”
Distance between politics and broadcasting
Hagoort pointed out that politics had to stay out of influencing programme content: “this system with its independent broadcasters is a perfect buffer against unwanted influence from political parties in programme content. That development unfortunately is widespread today in many European countries."
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