News item | 17-06-2025 | 09:26
Minister Bruins (OCW) wants to give approval for the new radio program channel NPO Blend and for NPO Blend Online, a corresponding online channel. A draft decision for this has been published. From 17 June 2025, stakeholders can make their opinion on the draft decision known for 6 weeks.
Start a new channel, change an existing channel or stop
If the NPO wants to start new online, television or radio channels, the Minister of OCW must approve that. The minister must also approve important changes or the termination of existing channels. The Netherlands has agreed with the European Commission that a transparent procedure will be followed for this.
The procedure is in short:
- The Council for Culture and the Commissioner for the Media advise the minister;
- Stakeholders can send a first input to the Council for Culture and the Commissariat;
- The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets reports on the market effects.
- The minister draws up a draft decision;
- Stakeholders can respond to the draft decision within 6 weeks;
- There will be a final decision within 6 months.
Request NPO Blend
NPO Blend will provide a unique supply mix, consisting of a music format and programs with an informative and journalistic approach. As the main target group, NPO Blend has Dutch people with a Turkish, Moroccan, Surinamese and Caribbean background between 35 and 44 years old and also aims to address a broader group of BI-cultural Dutch people. The NPO concludes that this target group is currently not sufficiently addressing with the existing range. With this new supply channel, the NPO wants to implement the broad task assignment, in particular by drawing attention to smaller target groups.
What is NPO Blend?
The NPO has submitted an application for a new radio program channel NPO Blend in the 2025 budget and the other supply channel NPO Blend Online, a corresponding online channel. On November 7, 2024, the NPO supplied additional information for the application. NPO Blend will be available free of charge via DAB+, online channels and via its own website and via NPO Luister.
Notification and forzagging draft Decree NPO Blend
Minister Bruins has drawn up a draft decision. The draft decision contains the approval of the new supply channel NPO Blend. On June 17, 2025, the Staatscourant were informed of the business content of the draft decision. The draft decision is also sent directly to the stakeholders who are known to the Ministry, including the NPO as an applicant.
Submit views
For 6 weeks, stakeholders can make their views on the draft decision known from 17 June 2025. Written views can be submitted both by post and by e-mail, stating the subject ‘draft decision NPO Blend’.
Submission by post is made to:
The Minister of Education, Culture and Science
PO Box 16375
2500 BJ The Hague
Submission by e-mail is made to: [email protected]
Stakeholders must state whether an opinion contains confidential data. In that case, stakeholders indicate that they are. Stakeholders are then requested to submit both a confidential and a public version of their views. Stakeholders who want to put their opinion orally forward can make this known within a week, from 17 June 2025, by e-mail at the stated e-mail address. Also in this e-mail the subject ‘NPO Blend draft decision’ must be mentioned. Partly depending on the requests, it can be decided to keep a hearing.