integrating sustainability themes into media - Collaborating Centre ...

delivery systems, particularly cable and, somewhat less importantly, satellite
and VCR, provided even more viewing opportunities in the Netherlands.
Currently, Dutch viewers can watch programmes in their own language
(including Flemish) on more than twenty channels, including local television,
twenty-four hours a day.
Legislative rules for sustainable TV partnerships
The Dutch government and its related organisations offers sustainability
partnership opportunities and financial support to:
• TV stakeholders for sustainability entertainment programs, and
• research organisations for evaluation of sustainability messages
(formative, process and summative research) contained in
entertainment programs.
Former legislative rules for TV partnerships
Until July 2008, a sustainability partnership between a government or
government related organisation and TV stakeholders was bound by a
number of requirements:
Financing: government organisations and TV stakeholders could jointly
finance media content to (1) produce a new program or (2) integrate
sustainability issues into an existing program. However, the TV stakeholders
needed to take responsibility for a greater than 50% share of the overall
budget.
Responsibilities: government organisations could consult and advise and
the TV stakeholders were required to take responsibility for content.
Informing audience members: Prior to and following the broadcast,
audiences were required to be informed that the program was funded by a
government institution.
Rules in practice
Misuse: The requirement to inform audience members regarding funding
sources proved particularly problematic. TV stakeholders were concerned
that a disclosure of collaboration with government could cost audience
members and the disclosure requirement has not been increasingly
neglected in recent years.
Recent legislative rules for sustainability TV partnerships
Prohibition: In August 2008 TV broadcasters were no longer permitted to
jointly finance media programs in collaboration with government related
organisations.
Future perspectives for sustainability TV partnerships
Media committee: Many scholars and legal experts in the Netherlands
suggest a way ‘in-between’ the current and the old rules by forming a media
committee with responsibility for review and supervision of governmentmedia
partnership activities.