English summary Dutch Media Authority

The Dutch Media Authority (in Dutch: Commissariaat voor de Media) is the media authority in the Netherlands.

We supervise compliance with the Media Act 2008 (in Dutch: Mediawet 2008) and the Act on the fixed book price (in Dutch: Wet op de vaste boekenprijs). Our oversight concerns the national public service media (national, regional, and local), commercial media service providers, short-term broadcasters (in Dutch: evenementenzenders), and commercial on-demand media service providers. Our aim is to protect the independence, plurality, and accessibility of audiovisual media in our country. By doing so we also support the freedom of information in our society.

Media such as radio, TV, and online platforms play a crucial role in informing the citizens. With that regard, the independence, quality, and diversity of the information offered are legally safeguarded in the Dutch Media Act and Media Decree (in Dutch Mediabesluit 2008). The Dutch Media Authority has oversight over the media service providers to check whether they respect and comply with this regulation. In that respect, we focus on a level playing field between public service and private media providers and transparency of ownership of media outlets.

Responsibilities

The Dutch Media Authority is responsible for audiovisual content and distribution matters. It grants licenses to broadcasters, registers VOD services, and systematically monitors compliance with the rules on programme quota, advertising, sponsoring, product placement and other commercial communication, and the protection of minors.

We supervise:

  • three national public broadcasting (PSB) TV channels
  • several regional PSB TV channels
  • approximately 300 local PSB TV channels
  • 500+ commercial licensed TV programs (including around 10 main national private channels, many satellite channels, and text TV services)
  • providers of VOD services
  • radio channels (both PSB and private service providers)
  • secondary activities of PSB

We have several formal instruments of enforcement:

  • Issue cease and desist order
  • Impose administrative fine (maximum of € 225.000)
  • Give instruction to replace management or supervisory directors
  • Reclaim or reduce financial public media budget contributions
  • Reduce or withdraw broadcasting airtime (PSM) or revoke license (commercial media)

If a sanction decision is not complied with, the Dutch Media Authority can impose additional penalties.

Board of Commissioners

The Dutch Media Authority is led by a Board of Commissioners. This board is appointed by the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education and Media. The board has three members.

Commercial broadcasters and on-demand media service providers

When a commercial media service provider falls under the jurisdiction of the Netherlands a license (in case of a broadcasting service) or registration (in case of an on-demand service) by the Dutch Media Authority will be required. ‘Commercial’ does not automatically imply that the media service should be aiming to make profits or contain advertising or other commercial communication. It just means that the service is not provided by a public service media provider. The same goes for on-demand media services.

Commercial broadcasters

After a commercial broadcaster is being licensed by the Dutch Media Authority frequency space can be requested by the Rijksinspectie Digitale Infrastructuur (RDI) or an agreement on distribution concluded with a cable operator or other distributor. The media service provider is obliged to pay the Dutch Media Authority a yearly fee related to the costs of supervision. In the Brochure Commercial Broadcast Services, you will find more detailed information.

Brochure Commercial Broadcast Services

Commercial on-demand media services

If users can select the moment they want to watch items from a video catalogue it should be considered as a commercial on-demand media service (in Dutch: commerciële mediadienst op aanvraag (cmoa)). This media offer should consist of moving images with or without audio. A provider should notify its on-demand media service within two weeks from its start with the Dutch Media Authority. Also for on-demand media services, a yearly fee related to the costs of supervision need to be paid to the Dutch Media Authority. In the Brochure Commercial media services on-demand, you will find more detailed information.

Brochure Commercial media services on demand

Supervisory costs

The exact amount that should be paid yearly as compensation for the costs of supervision depends on factors such as the nature of the service (radio, TV of text TV), the technical (potential) reach, the market share, the geographical coverage (the Netherlands or other countries) and the duration of the broadcasts.

Links to the Dutch Media Act and policy guidelines

To explain more the legislate framework the Dutch Media Authority can adopt guidelines, these are purely meant as an elaboration of existing rules and cannot introduce new obligations.

Note: The following documents are unofficial translations of the original Dutch legal acts. The translations are provided for your reference and convenience only. No rights can be derived from these translations.

Policy guidelines for providers of commercial broadcasting or on-demand media services:

Dutch Media Act 2008 2011 Policy rules on the classification of on demand commercial media services Policies sponsoring commercial media organisations 2012 2012 Advertising Policy Rules for Commercial Media Institutions Amendment 2012 Advertising Policy Rules for Commercial Media Institutions 2014 Regulation on Product Placement for Commercial Media Institutions 2019 Programme Quota Policy Rule 2019 Policy Rules on Administrative Fines 2019 Administrative Fines Policy Rule 2022 Commercial Media Institutions Quota Policy Rule 2022 Classification of On Demand Commercial Media Services Policy Rule 2022 Commercial Media Institutions Advertising Policy Rule 2022 Commercial Media Institutions Product Placement Policy Rule 2022 Sponsoring Policy Rule 2023 Commercial Media Institutions Quota Policy Rule

Supervision Confidentiality 

In the supervision approach, the Dutch Media Authority indicates that as a regulator, it has access to confidential (supervision) information. This information, for example, comes from the investigations carried out by the Dutch Media Authority. In certain situations, the Dutch Media Authority will need to keep this information confidential. This ensures the proper implementation and effectiveness of supervision. Below, the Dutch Media Authority briefly elaborates on this: 

Summary Supervision Confidentiality

Links to the Media Monitor

The Media Monitor is the annual report published by the Dutch Media Authority and monitors developments in the Dutch media sector. It provides an overview of media use and informs on the activities of media companies. Our legislative task is to monitor concentration and financial-economic conditions in the media sector. The Media Monitor provides insight into the impact of those developments on media independence and pluralism, with a special focus on news and information.

Media Monitor 2023

Youth, news and social media

Young people mainly use social media to keep abreast of what is going on in the world. This changed news consumption is permanent: the media routines young people develop now will determine their media behaviour in the future. That is one of the conclusions of the research report ‘A look at the future of news’.

However, news brands are still reluctant to have a presence on social media. This has everything to do with the current revenue model. Private news brands earn from subscriptions or advertisements through their own channels. But on social media, it is mainly the platform that earns from the news posts, not the creators. So there is a big challenge for news organisations to still reach young people with youth-oriented journalistic news, so that young people experience the value of it, and journalism brands keep in touch with their future users. Otherwise, a key requirement for the vitality of our democracy – a pluralistic media landscape, where multiple independent news editors do their work – will be compromised.

The study shows that 78% of young people use social media for their news gathering. The fact that news automatically comes across here plays an important role. The attitude of many young people is: ‘the news finds me’. Read more about the study, and the main conclusions and recommendations in the documents below. The full report is only available in Dutch. 

Youth, news and social media summary Onepager Youth, news and social media

International cooperation

It goes without saying that national media legislation is more and more affected by international legislation and policies. The vast majority of this international media regulation is originating from the EU legislator in Brussels.

The European Audiovisual Media Services Directive requires the EU-Member States to impose minimum rules (minimum harmonization), to guarantee the free exchange of media services within the EU. Since this is minimum harmonization EU Member States are authorized to impose more detailed or stricter rules on their domestic services. As a consequence, national media legislation in the different Member States are more and more similar and need to be coordinated, just as the oversight policies.

In addition, media companies on a larger more international scale provide the same services at the same time in a number of countries. Global players such as Google, YouTube, Yahoo, and Apple have also entered the audiovisual media sector and compete directly and fiercely with traditional media companies. Also, these trends emphasize the need for more international coordination and collaboration between national media authorities in Europe.

ERGA

The European Regulators Group for Audiovisual Media Regulators (ERGA) is the advisory body consisting of the heads and high-level representatives of the EU national regulatory authorities for audiovisual media services, established by a decision of the European Commission of 3 February 2014.

Its tasks are:

  • To advise and assist the Commission, in its work to ensure a consistent implementation in all Member States of the regulatory framework for audiovisual media services;
  • To assist and advise the Commission, as to any matter related to audiovisual media services within the Commission’s competence.
  • To provide for an exchange of experience and good practice as to the application of the regulatory framework for audiovisual media services;
  • To cooperate and provide its members with the information necessary for the application of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive.

In 2016 and 2017 the Dutch Media Authority was chair of ERGA.

EPRA

The European Platform of Regulatory Authorities (EPRA) was set up in 1995 and acts as a platform for an exchange of information, cases and best practices on experts working-level between broadcasting regulators in Europe. Unlike is the case for ERGA the membership of EPRA is not limited to the EU Member States. At present, 52 regulatory authorities from 46 countries are members of EPRA and the European Commission, the Council of Europe, the European Audiovisual Observatory, and the Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media are standing Observers of the Platform. EPRA has an informal character. Its statutes expressly prohibit the adoption of common positions or declarations. EPRA holds two meetings a year at the invitation of a regulatory authority.

Questions or complaints about a radio or tv programme

You can submit questions, tips or complaints about the content of programmes to the media service provider that offers the programme. Do you think that a media service provider does not comply with the Dutch Media Act? Your tip or complaint can help us detect a violation.

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