Culture minister to decide on future of far-right broadcaster ON

Culture Minister Rianne Letschert faces a decision on the future of far-right broadcaster Ongehoord Nederland (ON) during an upcoming meeting with director-general Peter Vlemmix. The channel has faced multiple criticisms for violating journalistic and ethical standards, most recently for using footage from Adolf Hitler's speech to introduce a discussion about the "cosmopolitan elite."

Initially, Letschert claimed she could not intervene as the public broadcasting service NPO had not requested her to withdraw ON's license. However, the media regulator CvdM subsequently stated that ON had failed to comply with its legal obligations, paving the way for Letschert to take the broadcaster off the air.

Over two-thirds of MPs demand the removal of the publicly funded channel in the wake of the latest controversy, including the three coalition parties D66, CDA, and VVD. Parliament is scheduled to debate ON's future later in the month. ON's editor-in-chief, Joost Niemöller, resigned a week ago due to a "difference of view about the editorial direction and recent programming," according to a statement from Vlemmix.

Niemöller was among the panelists on the show that sparked the controversy, stating he agreed with "certain things of Hitler's" but condemned the Nazi leader's anti-Semitism.

Vlemmix has claimed ON will continue its "fight for survival" and accused the media regulator of overlooking the improvements made over the past year. Dutch News relies on the generous support of its readers, as it provides news free of charge. Donations allow the service to report on issues that matter to readers and deliver daily summaries of the most important Dutch news.