PRESS RELEASE

The Public Media Alliance (PMA) is pleased to welcome the Nederlanse Publieke Omroep (NPO) as the latest public service media entity to join our association.

NPO sits at the head of the very unique Dutch public media system. NPO is the umbrella foundation overseeing different independent public broadcasters, each with their own remit and audience. These broadcasters are responsible for creating the content, while NPO coordinates the distribution of public funds to each broadcaster, and oversees content dissemination through television, radio and digital channels.

About NPO

NPO sits at the head of the Netherlands’ public media system as the umbrella organisation, operating three TV channels, two children’s platforms, and three extra TV stations, plus six radio stations, and three extra streams, as well as both visual and audio streaming services. Across all these channels and platforms, NPO reaches 84 percent of the Dutch population monthly.

Providing the content are the independent broadcasting associations, which are all member-based. Most of these broadcasters serve specific audiences and communities in the Netherlands. There are faith-based broadcasters, such as EO, which represents the Evangelical Christian community. There are age-based broadcasters, such as MAX which produces content for the over-50s. There are broadcasters with a political leaning: BNNVARA is for the young and socially-minded progressive audiences; while WNL represents liberal-conservative audiences.

Broadcasting associations can be formed by anyone, but there are certain criteria they must fulfil. Aspiring associations require a minimum of 50,000 paying members, and they must be distinguished from other broadcasting associations and make unique content. Two new broadcasting associations were welcomed in 2022 and have five years to prove they are adding value.

Two broadcasters – NOS and NTR – have statutory responsibilities to provide news, culture, education and sport.

Members of NPO are among the most widely used and most trusted news sources in the Netherlands. According to the 2024 Digital News Report, nearly 60 percent of all Dutch people access NOS Nieuws – the principal NPO news brand – through linear channels, while 82 percent said they trusted it, the highest ranking out of all news organisations included.

As well as coordinating the distribution of the content, NPO also operates overarching activities, such as subtitling, managing rights contracts, purchasing international programmes, audience research and promotion and marketing for all NPO channels and platforms.

Three quarters of NPO’s budget comes from taxation. 80 percent of that budget is then passed down to the different broadcasters, with the remaining 20 percent kept for NPO’s own costs. NPO is currently contending with a reduction in its budget, after a cut of €50 million was announced by the coalition government in December, on top of an initial €100 million budget reduction agreed in May last year.

Recent activities from NPO includes the creation of a youth council of 18-24-year-olds to ensure they are listening to what young audiences want from their public service broadcasting system. In collaboration with all Dutch public broadcasters, NPO is fast-tracking its digital transition to the on-demand platforms NPO Start and NPO Luister.

About PMA

The Public Media Alliance is a global association of public service media organisations, regulators, and supporters, with a mission to support and promote the role of public service media. PMA’s membership is split between Members, and Affiliate Members – organisations that are part of the wider public media ecosystem such as independent regulators, academic institutions and fellow civil society organisations.