NPO wants permit Ongehoord Nederland to be revoked after issuing a third fine

ANP

NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 13:09

The NPO wants the license of broadcaster Ongehoord Nederland (ON!) to be revoked. The Executive Board has submitted a request to that effect to Secretary of State Uslu.

The request follows the third fine that the NPO has imposed on the broadcaster. This amounts to 131,885 euros. This amount is on top of the previous fines of 84,098 euros and 56,065 euros. ON! in response, calls the new fine a “renewed attack on freedom of expression”.

In the event of repeated violations, the public broadcaster can submit a request to no longer recognize a broadcaster.

Systematically breaking code

Ongehoord Nederland receives the third fine because the news program Ongehoord Nieuws “systematically” violates the journalistic code of the NPO. The NPO refers to research by the Ombudsman Margo Smit.

The fine was announced in January. The board of directors of the NPO wrote in an explanation at the time about “a pattern of systematic sharing of demonstrably incorrect information”. According to the NPO, that was the purport of the investigation by NPO ombudsman Smit.

Unheard of Netherlands chairman Arnold Karskens says he will challenge the fines “up to the highest courts”.

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