Netherlands: Muslim broadcasters to shut down

Netherlands: Muslim broadcasters to shut down

The Dutch Muslim Broadcaster (NMO, Nederlandse Moslim Omroep) and the Dutch Islamic Broadcaster (NIO, Nederlandse Islamitische Omroep) will dissolve themselves next year. They did not ask for a new broadcasting time-slot for the period starting September 2010 till December 2015, also not through their umbrella organization Foundation for Islamic Airtime (SVIZ, Verzorging Islamitische Zendtijd), which holds the broadcasting permit for both broadcaster.

This according to program heads Abderrahman Farsi (NMO) and Mustafa Aarab on Tuesday. Aarab said that on August 31, 2010 he will close down. The shutting down of the broadcasters is the result of the continuing administration problems within the SVIZ, which represents both broadcaster.

The Dutch Media Authority received five new request from Islamic organization who want to be considered for the freed-up time-slot before the October 1st deadline. Just one organization would be accepted. The Authority will make a decision before January 1st, 2010.

Farsi hopes that the time-slot will be given over to the newly founded Muslim Broadcasting Foundation (Stichting Moslimomroep). "This is by the far the biggest organization and covers about twenty different platforms, which unite 400 different associations, foundations and organizations. They represent nine nationalities," according to Farsi, who says that the four remaining organizations are much smaller.

One of the four other organizations who want to take over the Muslim time-slot is Stichting Moslim Omroep Nederland. The chairman is Radi Suudi, the founder of the multicultural broadcaster Zenit, which didn't get enough members this spring to be able to start broadcasting.

The other organizations are the Stichting Academica Islamica/OUMA, Nederlandse Islamitische Media and Stichting Samenwerkende Islamitische Koepel.

In addition to the Muslim organizations, six current holders of broadcasting permits filed an application by the Media Authority: RKK (Roman Catholic), Stichting Joodse Omroep (Jewish), Boeddhistische Omroep Stichting (Buddhist), Stichting Verzorging Kerkelijke Zendtijd (Christian), Stichting Humanistische Omroep (Humanist) and Stichting Organisatie voor Hindoe Media (Hindu).

Source: Telegraaf (Dutch)

See also:
* Netherlands: Quarrels between Muslim broadcasters costing public money
* Netherlands: Muslim broadcasters to continue broadcasting
* Netherlands: Muslim broadcaster increasingly controlled by radicals