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On 26 June 1996 an ad hoc commission installed by the Government of the Netherlands to advise on the future of the Dutch public broadcasting system (the Commissie-Ververs) published its conclusions and recommendations. The commission concludes that, in order for the public broadcasting system to survive, a radical transformation is required. The report suggests to change to a segmented structure; one segment consisting of the existing broadcasters in the public broadcasting system, the other segment being a central broadcasting organisation (a successor to the Dutch Broadcasting Corporation, NOS)....

The Dutch association of Internet providers (Vereniging van Nederlandse Internetproviders, NLIP) has opened on 20 June 1996 a complaints counter for child pornography (Meldpunt Kinderporno) that is distributed on the Internet. Users that come across illegal material can notify the complaints counter. The counter will first ask the provider of the material to remove it. If the provider does not respond, the office of the Public Prosecutor will be notified. With this initiative the Internetproviders in the Netherlands want to show their willingness to cooperate in the fight against the distribution...

European Commissioner Karel van Miert (Competition, DG IV) announced on 31 May 1996 that the European Commission will investigate whether the exclusive licensing agreement between the Dutch Football Association (KNVB) and the new sports channel Sport 7 ( see IRIS 1996-4 : 14) violates articles 85 en 86 of the EC-treaty. At a meeting of the Broadcast Business Club in Hilversum, the Netherlands, Van Miert said that the duration on the licence, 7 years, was the prime subject of investigation. The channel, owned by a joint venture of Philips, ING Bank, production company Endemol and the KNVB, plans...

In addition to the new power of intervention of the Dutch Media Authority regarding access disputes between programme suppliers and cable networks ( see IRIS 1996-5: 12), the Dutch Secretary for Economic Affairs has concerned himself with these disputes on the basis of the Dutch competition law ( Wet economische mededinging). Whereas the Media Authority has made no rulings in these matters yet, the Secretary for Economic Affairs decided on 23 April 1996 that the municipal cable network of Tilburg had to allocate a channel to the company VVM, who provides a cable TV information service. The Secretary...

By a letter dated 29 May 1996 to Parliament, the Dutch under-secretary for culture announced that the Council of Ministers has agreed to extend the Media Authority's regulatory power on access to cable networks until 1 January 1997. Originally, amendment of the Media Act of 2 April 1996 gave the Authority this power of intervention until 1 July 1996. ( See IRIS 1996-5 : 12) The Parliament now has to approve the extension of the power under article 69 of the Media Act. The amendment - as the under secretary announced - will be put before the Parliament on the shortest possible term. The term is...