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.
NTR is a Dutch public-service broadcaster, supplying television and radio programming of an informational, educational, and cultural nature to the national public broadcasting system, Nederlandse Publieke Omroep (NPO). NTR was created in 2010, following the merger of the Nederlandse Programma Stichting (NPS) and two educational broadcasters, Televisie Academie (Teleac) and the Radio Volksuniversiteit (RVU). For details of these predecessor organizations, see further below.
NPO 2 is a Dutch television channel, sister channel of NPO 1 and NPO 3. It was established on 1 October 1964 at 20:00, initially with a 2.5 hours schedule until 22:30.
BVN, is a Dutch free-to-air television channel providing Dutch public-service television to viewers around the world.
KRO, or Katholieke Radio Omroep, was a Dutch public broadcasting organization founded on 23 April 1925.
RTL Nederland is a Dutch media network, a subsidiary of the RTL Group. The media company is located in Hilversum, although the licences of its TV stations are issued in Luxembourg.
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 the 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. On 12 March 2013, the NPO announced that Zapp and Zappelin would be renamed as NPO Zapp and NPO Zappelin. The reason for this change is to make the channels and its programmes more recognizable. The rebranding completed on 19 August 2014. Together with NPO Zappelin it forms a channel called NPO Zappelin Xtra, available online and part of bonus packages.
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 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 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, Z@ppelin / Z@pp 24 changed its name into NPO Zapp Xtra.
Freek Jacobus Vonk is a Dutch biologist who specializes in herpetology with a special interest in snake venom. He travels the world in search of the most spectacular and bizarre creatures. He has been bitten by a number of venomous snakes, almost lost his arm due to a Caribbean reef shark bite and has housed several parasites in his own body.
Niels Littooij, better known by his stage name Nielson, is a Dutch singer-songwriter. He was a member of the Dutch music trio Zirkus Zirkus in the early 2010s, but rose to national fame in 2012 due to his participation in the television programme De beste singer-songwriter van Nederland.
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 Holding B.V. is the largest cable operator in the Netherlands, providing digital cable television, Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers.
Talpa TV is a Dutch commercial broadcasting company owned by John de Mol's Talpa Network.
