The Dutch public broadcasting system is a group of organizations that are responsible for public service television and radio broadcasting in the Netherlands. It is composed of the Nederlandse Publieke Omroep (NPO) foundation, which acts as its governing body, and a number of public broadcasters. The Dutch Media Act 2008 regulates how air time is divided and puts the administration of the public broadcasting system in the hands of the NPO Board of Directors.
Television in the Netherlands was officially introduced in 1951. In the Netherlands, the television market is divided between a number of commercial networks, such as RTL Nederland, and a system of public broadcasters sharing three channels, NPO 1, NPO 2, and NPO 3. Imported programmes, as well as news interviews with responses in a foreign language, are almost always shown in their original language, with subtitles.
NPO 1 is the first national television station in the Netherlands. It launched on 2 October 1951. It provides public broadcasting and currently exists next to sister channels NPO 2 and NPO 3. Several broadcasting organisations of the Publieke Omroep deliver a wide variety of programs for the channel, usually for larger audiences. In 2018, it was the most viewed channel in the Netherlands, reaching a market share of 22.0%.
NPO 3 is the third and youngest of the terrestrial television channels operated by the Dutch public-broadcasting organization NPO in the Netherlands. It carries programmes provided by member-based non-profit broadcasting associations and is oriented towards children, youth, and innovative television.
NPO 2 is a Dutch television channel, the sister channel of NPO 1 and NPO 3. It was established on 1 October 1964 at 20:00, initially with a 2.5-hour schedule until 22:30.
BVN, is a Dutch free-to-air television channel providing Dutch public television to viewers around the world. It is a service of the public broadcasting company of the Netherlands, Nederlandse Publieke Omroep (NPO).
Nederland 24 was the collective name for a number of specialty television channels from the Dutch public broadcasting system. It also broadcasts a sample channel of the same name featuring a mix of programming from the other thematic channels. A couple of these specialty channel are still available, but are now fully under the wings of the NPO.
NPO Zapp is a Dutch children's block from the NPO on NPO 3 that launched as Z@pp on 4 September 2005. Since September 2005, Zappelin has been the name of a block for young children. The @ in the name of the channel was removed on 10 September 2012.
The Netherlands now has three major forms of broadcast digital television. Terrestrial (DVB-T), Cable (DVB-C), and Satellite (DVB-S). In addition IPTV services are available. At the end of the first quarter of 2013 almost 84% of the households in the Netherlands had some form of digital television.
NPO Zappelin is a Dutch television program block for younger children that launched as Z@ppelin in September 2000.
NPO 3 Extra was a Dutch digital theme channel of Dutch public broadcaster BNNVARA, which has been broadcasting since 31 October 2006. The channel could be received via the Internet, as well as digital theme channel via a decoder to the TV. On 10 March 2014, the channel was renamed by NPO 101, before it was called 101 TV.
NPO 1 Extra is a television channel jointly operated by Dutch public broadcasters AVROTROS, BNNVARA, EO, KRO-NCRV and MAX. It was originally launched as HilversumBest on 1 December 2006. NPO 1 Extra presents highlights of more than sixty years of Dutch television history. The channel was founded by Han Peekel.
NPO Doc was a documentary television channel in the Netherlands. It was a digital theme channel, available 24 hours, 7 days a week. Typically programs were in the Dutch language. Yet, depending on the subject of the documentary some programmes were in the original language with Dutch subtitles. On 10 March 2014, Holland Doc 24 changed its name into NPO Doc.
NPO Nieuws was a 24-hour news channel operated by the NOS, the public broadcaster which supplies news and sports to all national public television and radio networks. NOS also provides programming for the political channel, NPO Politiek.
NPO Politiek en Nieuws is a public television channel operated by the public broadcaster NOS, which supplies news and sports to all national public television and radio networks. Programmes come live from The Hague when the parliament is in session. When the parliament was not in session the NPO Politiek en Nieuws channel became NPO Sport, broadcasting sporting events or news and current affairs, supplied by the NOS. On 15 December 2021, NPO Nieuws merged with NPO Politiek to make the present name of this channel. Before 10 March 2014 the channel was called Politiek 24.
NPO Zappelin Extra was a digital theme TV channel jointly operated by AVROTROS, EO, KRO-NCRV, NTR and VPRO. The TV channel launched as Zappelin 24 on 30 May 2009. It broadcasts replays and broadcasts from NPO Zapp and NPO Zappelin, via the cable and internet. The TV channel was part of the Nederlandse Publieke Omroep. On 10 March 2014, Zappelin / Zapp 24 changed its name into NPO Zapp Xtra.
Stingray Brava was a cultural television channel originated in the Netherlands, owned by the Stingray Group in Canada. The programming consisted of opera, ballet, and concertos. Productions were recorded in opera houses such as the Royal Opera House, the Teatro Real, and La Scala. The productions consisted of stage performances such as La bohème, Otello, Aida, Swan Lake, Tosca, Zoroastre and Così fan tutte.
NPO Sport was a Dutch sports channel owned by the Nederlandse Publieke Omroep (NPO) and operated by Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (NOS). It launched on 19 July 2009 and time-shared with NPO Politiek en Nieuws when the legislature was not in session.
Ziggo B.V. is the largest cable operator in the Netherlands, providing digital cable television, Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers.
Paramount Network is a Dutch free-to-cable television channel in the Netherlands, based on the American rebranded Paramount Network. The television channels launched as Spike on 1 October 2015. It was the third Spike channel next to the US and UK version of the channel. The television channel aimed at an audience of mainly men. Initially it only broadcast daily between 21:00 and 2:30, time-sharing with Nickelodeon. As of 12 December 2016 the channel is broadcasting 24 hours a day in the Netherlands. Until 6 January 2021, the channel was also available in Flanders. On 24 May 2022, the channel was renamed by Paramount Network.
