Local radio and television in Holland: from idea to practice

Anna Przybylska

Local radio and television in the Netherlands grew out of the Dutch political culture of which openness and pluralism are the core values. Equally important for the understanding of the local electronic media in the Low-lands is the fact that they were developed within the boundaries of the public media system with its requirements of a non-commercial and not-for-profit activity. Above all, one more crucial aspect of local media production was its non-professional basis. The article addresses the changes that can be traced in the above framework for media practice as well as media performance in the context of the liberalisation of policy and growing economic pressure. Although it can be argued that the aforementioned trends are conducive to professionalisation and commercialisation of media, the reactions of broadcasters and audiences to them are also important for the conduct of local radio and television. On the basis of the research carried out in three Dutch cities one can assert that the policy towards openness and pluralism varies significantly from station to station.

KEYWORDS

Netherlands, local radio and television, openess and pluralism in media, liberalisation, professionalisation, commercialisation