Media watchdog announces new sanction for ON!
The Commissariaat voor de Media has confirmed a proposed measure, but the exact sanction and its grounds have not yet been made public.
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The Commissariaat voor de Media intends to sanction Ongehoord Nederland again. A spokesperson confirmed this according to ANP; ON! director Peter Vlemmix says the measure relates to an online programme in which a clip of Adolf Hitler was discussed.
The new measure follows an investigation report by the Commissariaat concerning an online programme by ON!. According to the available reporting, the regulator has informed the broadcaster of its intention, but is not yet disclosing the nature or grounds of the sanction.
ON! will first be given the opportunity to respond to the intention. It is therefore not yet clear which violation the Commissariaat has established exactly or which measure will ultimately be imposed. It could, for example, be an administrative sanction or another supervisory measure, but no decision has yet been published.
According to director Peter Vlemmix, the new sanction relates to a programme in which a clip of Hitler was commented on. ON! has made that connection public. The Commissariaat has not made all the substantive details of the investigation public in the available announcement.
The regulator had already warned in early September that the broadcast marked a turning point in its supervision of ON!. According to the Commissariaat, there were concerns about governance, financial management and journalistic quality. The minister subsequently began a procedure to withdraw ON!'s recognition as an aspiring broadcaster.
When that procedure began, the minister stressed that, in her view, her decision concerned the organisation and compliance with statutory rules, not the political views represented by ON!. The procedure does not yet mean a definitive withdrawal; ON! can respond and subsequently lodge an objection or appeal.
The new sanction and the recognition procedure are legally separate processes. As long as the new report and the final decision are not public, it cannot be independently assessed how serious the established violation is. The reporting therefore mainly makes clear that supervision is continuing, not what the final outcome will be.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- The Commissariaat has announced a new proposed sanction.
- ON! can still respond before a final decision is made.
- The minister is also conducting a separate procedure concerning ON!'s recognition.
Left
Arguments A public broadcaster that repeatedly fails to comply with rules on journalistic quality, governance and public money must face consequences. Public funds and reach bring greater responsibility.
Values Reliable information, public accountability, protection against the normalisation of extremism and equal application of the rules.
Consequences Failure to enforce the rules could further damage confidence in public broadcasting; firm measures may be needed to keep the system credible.
Centre
Arguments Supervision is necessary, but must remain strictly grounded in procedure and substance. A public report, the right to be heard and judicial review are essential to prevent sanctions from appearing to be political interference.
Values Independent journalism, legal certainty, pluralism and institutional due care.
Consequences A careful procedure may take longer, but reduces the risk that a measure will be overturned in court or seen as censorship.
Right
Arguments Unpopular or unconventional media must also retain a place in public broadcasting. The government must not exclude a broadcaster because of an unwelcome voice; only specific and proven violations should be decisive.
Values Freedom of expression, political diversity and government restraint.
Consequences A sanction without a publicly substantiated decision could increase distrust in regulators; at the same time, enforcement of general rules remains necessary.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The proposed sanction and the earlier procedure concerning recognition have been confirmed by current reporting and official documents. The exact violation and sanction have deliberately been presented as unknown.
- confirmed The Commissariaat voor de Media intends to sanction ON! again. — Reported to ANP by a spokesperson, as presented in the current reporting. source
- confirmed ON! director Peter Vlemmix links it to an online programme in which Hitler was discussed. — This link is attributed to Vlemmix; it is not presented as an independently established fact. source
- confirmed The minister has started a procedure to withdraw ON!'s recognition. — Confirmed by the Dutch government. source
- confirmed The Commissariaat cites governance, financial management and journalistic quality as concerns regarding ON!. — Mentioned in the Commissariaat's official letter. source
Editor's note
The proposed new sanction was reported via ANP, but a directly available recent decision or public investigation report is lacking. The link with the Hitler clip is attributed to ON! and has not been independently established.Sources
- Mediawaakhond wil ON! weer sanctie opleggen na Hitler-uitzending — Nieuwskoerier, op basis van ANP
- Brief Commissariaat aan minister OCW over intrekking erkenning ON! — Commissariaat voor de Media
- Minister van plan erkenning Ongehoord Nederland in te trekken — Rijksoverheid
- Ongehoord Nederland haalt berucht programma offline na Hitler-rel — RTL Nieuws
More on this in Dutch media
- NU.nl — „ongehoord nederland”
- De Telegraaf — „ongehoord nederland”
- AD — „ongehoord nederland”