News item | 21-11-2025 | 3:00 PM
The national public broadcaster will have more room to acquire advertising revenue. At the proposal of Minister Moes of Education, Culture and Science (OCW), the Council of Ministers has approved an increase in commercial advertising time on traditional television channels from 8 to 10 percent. He also calls for better use of existing options. Advertising revenues in the financing of the national public broadcaster could therefore increase by almost 12 million euros. This is stated in a letter that will be sent to the House of Representatives today.
This decision stems from the Bontenbal amendment. With that amendment, the House of Representatives decided to reduce the government contribution to national public broadcasting by an additional 50 million euros. At the same time, in the same amendment, the House wants to offer Ster (the organization that sells advertising space on public broadcasting channels) room to generate more advertising revenue.
Impact analysis of more advertising
The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science has investigated the consequences of more advertising options for De Ster for commercial media companies. The results of that analysis have previously been sent to the House of Representatives.
In order to meet the wish in the amendment to expand advertising options, the minister has chosen to increase the maximum permitted amount of advertising on the linear channels of the national public broadcaster from 8 percent to 10 percent. In doing so, he chooses to undo a previous reduction.
The minister is not taking the step to reverse the existing ban on commercial advertising messages in online videos. According to the impact analysis, the submarket for online video is growing, although there is uncertainty about how strong that growth will be. This offers opportunities for generating additional advertising revenue for the Ster, but the Ster would compete in this market with commercial Dutch players. Because the economic interests are great, the minister does not want to make this decision without a mandate from the House of Representatives or a new cabinet.
The minister also thinks it is undesirable to allow advertising around children’s programming again.
Minister Moes: “For now, the public broadcaster is only allowed to generate more advertising to a limited extent, so that Dutch commercial parties do not suffer too much from this. With these agreements, there remains room for both Dutch public and private media. A strong and plural media landscape consists of both. And that leads to an offer that ensures connection and strengthening of the Dutch language and culture.”
Public broadcasting cuts as of 2027
The letter also provides clarity about the budget of the national public broadcaster in 2027. The budget of the national public broadcaster has been set at 844.7 million euros as of 2027 due to the cuts in the government media contribution and the additional advertising revenue of 11.7 million euros. On balance, this means a cutback for the national public broadcaster of almost 140 million euros. The proposal for a change in the law to adjust the government media contribution downwards will go to the House of Representatives in early 2026.