Rianne Letschert says repeated breaches of broadcasting rules, regulatory fines and a July panel that used a clip of Adolf Hitler prompted the regulator’s call to withdraw ON’s licence; the broadcaster can appeal.
The media regulator (CvdM) advised culture minister Rianne Letschert that Ongehoord Nederland (ON) is not meeting legal obligations, prompting her intention to withdraw its public broadcasting licence.
ON’s director, Peter Vlemmix, called the move a worrying day for public broadcasting and said he would fight to defend the channel and the views it represents.
Culture minister Rianne Letschert announced she intends to withdraw Ongehoord Nederland's (ON) recognition as a public broadcaster after the Dutch media regulator (CvdM) told her the channel is not fulfilling its obligations under broadcasting law. The minister described withdrawal of a licence as the most serious sanction available and said the decision follows repeated rule breaches since ON joined the public system in 2022.
The CvdM's intervention follows a series of formal warnings, fines and reprimands. In the past year ON was fined twice: once for breaching conflict‑of‑interest rules and once for breaching its own editorial code. The broadcasting ombudsman has repeatedly reprimanded the channel for mixing fact and opinion and for disseminating inaccurate information.
The NPO, which manages the three Dutch public TV channels, asked the minister to intervene because it judged ON was unwilling to operate as a partner organisation within the public broadcasting system. That lack of cooperation was cited alongside regulatory sanctions as grounds for withdrawing public recognition.
ON director Peter Vlemmix described the decision as a very worrying day for Dutch public broadcasting and said the broadcaster would fight to defend its audience, public broadcasting itself, and right‑wing perspectives. Vlemmix also claimed improvements had been made over the past year.
The minister's announcement is a proposed step, not an immediate shutdown. ON has statutory rights to respond and to appeal. If Letschert proceeds after hearing ON's reply and any legal processes conclude against the broadcaster, ON could lose its place on public channels and the associated public funding.
Short term: ON remains on air while it exercises its right to respond and appeal. Mid term: a successful withdrawal would remove ON's public recognition and funding and could set a precedent for intervention where public broadcasters repeatedly breach rules. Political fallout is likely: ON's supporters will contest the move, while critics argue it enforces legal standards for publicly funded media.
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