Publieke Omroep

Publieke Omroep is the Dutch broadcasting company that is responsible for the Dutch TV Channels Nederland 1, Nederland 2 & Nederland 3. Unlike other public broadcasters like the BBC, ARD, or France Télévisions, Publieke Omroep is run by member-based non-profit broadcasting organizations. The number of hours each broadcaster gets corresponds to the number of members in each organization (except NOS & NPS). This is said to make the organization give a voice to each member group in the multicultural diversity that is Dutch society, but actually the system ranges from decades ago when different Dutch groups (catholics, protestants, socialists, etcetera) had their own organisations, including broadcasting organisations. Since 2000, it is financed by advertisements rather than a television licence.

Related Topics:
Dutch - Public broadcaster - BBC - ARD - France Télévisions - Non-profit - Advertisement - Television licence

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In alphabetical order, the public broadcasting organizations with members are:

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• AVRO (Algemeene Vereeniging Radio Omroep): One of the oldest broadcasters. The aim is secular and for the general public. Originally it was intended for the right-wing liberal audience. web
• BNN, (Bart's Neverending Network, formerly Bart's News Network): Recently founded public broadcaster. Aimed at teenagers and young people in general. Lots of pop culture and sometimes goes for shock value. web
• EO (Evangelische Omroep): Protestant Christian Evangelical broadcaster. Has a religious orientation in its broadcasting of a strong evangelical nature. web
• KRO (Katholieke Radio Omroep): Catholic broadcaster. Has predominantly non-religious programming and tends to be liberal. web
• NCRV (Nederlandse Christelijke Radio Vereniging): The main Protestant broadcaster. Has predominantly non-religious programming and tends to be liberal. web
• TROS (Televisie Radio Omroep Stichting): A general broadcaster with a focus on entertainment. web. One of the broadcaster's most famous programmes is Dit was het nieuws ("This was the news"), the Dutch version of Have I Got News For You, presented by Harm Edens. web
• VARA (Verenigde Arbeiders Radio Amateurs): Large broadcaster with a left-wing labour oriented background. web
• VPRO (Vrijzinnig Protestantse Radio Omroep): Quirky, independently minded broadcaster with a (very) liberal protestant background. Lots of original cultural programming of an intellectual nature. web

Apart from these eight major broadcasters, (a small amount of) airtime is given to smaller organizations, which represent religions, have educational programs, or received airtime for other reasons. The amount of broadcasting time for the "religious" broadcasting organizations is assigned roughly proportional to the number of members they have.

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• BOS (Boeddhistische Omroep Stichting): A small Buddhist broadcaster. web
• Humanistische Omroep: A small broadcaster dedicated to secular Humanism. web
• IKON (Interkerkelijke Omroep Nederland): A small broadcaster representing a diverse set of nine Christian churches. web
• Joodse Omroep The new name of NIKmedia (Nederlands-Israëlitisch Kerkgenootschap): Dutch-Jewish broadcaster. web
• LLiNK (LLiNK): makes television about subjects like the environment and human rights. web
• NIO (Nederlandse Islamitische Omroep): Small Islamic broadcaster. web
• NMO (Nederlandse Moslim Omroep): Small Islamic broadcaster, slightly more progressive than the NIO. web
• OHM (Organisatie Hindoe Media): Small Hindu broadcaster. web
• Omroep MAX: aimed at the over 50's. web
• OF (Omrop Fryslân): Regional broadcaster from the province of Friesland, which also receives a small amount of airtime on national television to broadcast programs in Frisian, the second official language of the Netherlands. web
• RKK: (Rooms-Katholiek Kerkgenootschap). Small Roman Catholic broadcaster, actual programming produced by the KRO. Roman Catholic events and services on television are broadcast by the RKK. web
• RVU (Radio Volks Universiteit): Small educational broadcaster with a non-secular non-ideological nature. web
• PP (Zendtijd voor Politieke partijen): Small broadcaster that broadcasts commercials of political parties represented in the Dutch parliament.
• TELEAC/NOT (Televisie-academie/Nederlandse Onderwijs Televisie): Larger educational broadcaster. Produces courses on television and television for schools. web
• ZvK (Zendtijd voor Kerken): Small broadcaster that broadcasts church services from some smaller protestant churches. web

And finally, there are two public special broadcasting organizations, which don't have any members.

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• NOS (Nederlandse Omroep Stichting): Focused on news, parliamentary reporting, sports. Aims to be objective and does the "Journaal", the main (evening) news on the public channels. Coordinates the other public broadcasters and make the teletext pages. web
• NPS (Nederlandse Programma Stichting): This used to be part of the NOS but split off in 1995. Produces cultural, informative, youth and minority-oriented television. Produces the Dutch version of "Sesame Street". web
 
Publieke Omroep: History ►