NPO and the broadcasters ask for reversing planned cuts

The House of Representatives must delete the planned cuts on the public broadcaster now that the cabinet has fallen. The NPO and the College of Broadcasters (CVO) make that call in a joint statement that they offered to all political parties in the Lower House on Friday. « If reversing the cutbacks is not fully feasible, it is essential that they are in line with the reforms in size and time, » said the statement. « This is not the case now. »

The NPO and the CVO, however, again endorse the importance of the reform plans of Minister Bruins (Education, Culture and Media, NSC). « In order to maintain the task of the public broadcaster as a foundation of an open, free and informed society, and to prepare the order for the future, it is necessary to reform, » they write in the statement. But « the planned cuts become this task and the possibilities to reform through size and timing. »

110 million entered

The four coalition parties of the – now outgoing – cabinet had agreed that the public broadcaster would get 110 million euros per year from 2027. That cut is already booked in the multi -year budget, but the new amount has not yet been laid down in the Media Act. There may be an additional 50 million euros in cutbacks because the House of Representatives wanted to free up extra money for education. At the same time, Minister Bruins presented ambitious plans to reform the public orderwhere the thirteen broadcasters must be housed In a maximum of five so -called broadcaster houses. But that reform must only be ready in 2029, much later than the cuts.

« The cutbacks are in danger of falling in 2027, while the financial benefits of the Order reform at the earliest can be enjoyed from 2029, » write the NPO and the CVO. « This not only affects programming, our employees and the creative industry unnecessarily hard, but the renewal and the necessary digital transition are also at stake. »

Programs of the Tube

In the programming for 2026, the broadcasters are already ahead of the cutbacks of 2027. 32 million euros will already be cut in 2026: 20 million by the broadcasters and the NTR; 7 million by the NOS; and 5 million by the NPO. As a result Some programs of the tube is achieved, like The moving judge,,  » Shot shotand, and One -way from Verweggistan. There will also be fewer episodes of Inspection service of Value and Blue. « But we are not there yet, » says EO director Arjan Lock, chairman of the CVO.

Timing

In addition to the size of the cutbacks, the NPO and the broadcasters have difficulty with the timing and the relationship to reform. « We have been telling The Hague for some time that the order (first cut back and then reform) is wrong, » says Lucien Brouwer, acting chairman of the NPO. « You first want to work more efficiently before you start the cuts. Because we see in all our analyzes that merging into broadcaster could lead to a more efficient design of the organization. So that order is very important for us. »

In the coming weeks, the House of Representatives will decide which subjects will be explained controversially. The debate on the topics related to the Ministry of Education, Culture and Media is planned for 19 June.

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