Public broadcasters to be merged into four “houses” from 2029

The Dutch government recently unveiled its plan to consolidate the nation's public broadcasting sector into four larger entities, known as "broadcasting houses," commencing in 2029. The cabinet has proposed this reform to streamline the system, currently comprising 11 separate broadcasting organizations. NOS and NTR, a news and educational broadcaster, respectively, will amalgamate under the NOS label.

No additional broadcasters will be permitted to join the system under this new structure, according to media minister Rianne Letschert. The current lineup of public broadcasters includes AVROTROS, BNNVARA, EO, Human, KRO-NCRV, Max, Ongehoord Nederland (ON), PowNed, VPRO, WNL, and Zwart. Each broadcaster holds a distinct political, religious, or social perspective and collectively produce content for three television channels and five radio stations.

The new plan eliminates membership prerequisites, previously requiring at least 50,000 and then 100,000 members for provisional and permanent licensing, respectively. Furthermore, broadcasters will no longer face termination from the system or regulatory intervention, except for addressing misconduct. The houses will subsequently choose their own names and continue to exercise control over their programming, while the NPO's coordinating role diminishes.

Critics, including the media regulator, Commissariaat voor de Media, contend that the plan grants broadcasters insufficient guidelines and places excessive reliance on self-regulation. The proposed legislation will proceed to the Council of State, the government’s advisory body, and subsequently to parliament and the senate before implementation in 2029.