Minister given permission to axe far-right TV broadcaster

Dutch media minister Rianne Letschert has been granted the legal authority to revoke the broadcasting licence of far-right broadcaster Ongehoord Nederland (ON), potentially leading to the network being taken off air and losing public funding. This decision follows a letter from the Dutch media authority, which cited a recent broadcast where ON presenters discussed their acceptance and agreements with certain remarks attributed to Adolf Hitler as a turning point event.

The authority expressed a loss of confidence in ON's ability to run its operations effectively and has fulfilled the conditions necessary for licence withdrawal. These conditions include a fine imposed last September for breaches of conflict-of-interest rules and failure to adhere to editorial standards, as well as a separate penalty for withholding records of ON's expenditure of public funds.

ON's director, Peter Vlemmix, has vowed to continue the broadcaster's "fight for survival" and accused the authority of overlooking recent improvements. Letschert intends to inform MPs of her decision regarding ON's future before a parliamentary debate scheduled for September 24. The Dutch News service remains free of charge due to the support of its readers, and donations are crucial in enabling the reporting of important Dutch news and providing daily summaries.