Media Authority
Also known as: CoM
The Media Authority (Commissariaat voor de Media, CvdM) is the supervisor of compliance with the Media Act and the Resale Price Maintenance (Books) Act. It is an independent administrative body (zbo), an organization appointed by law that operates independently of a ministry. Based on its task, the Commissariat promotes and guarantees the independence, diversity and accessibility of the media and the freedom of information.
The CoM issues licenses and permits, reviews compliance with regulations, and can take enforcement action where necessary, which can result in large fines in extreme cases.
The activities of the Media Authority under the Media Act focus on television, radio and video on demand. The Media Act includes rules with which public, regional and local broadcasters must comply, including in the field of advertising. The law also regulates the financing of public broadcasters, the admission of broadcasting associations to the broadcasting system (NPO), required licenses for commercial media companies and the availability of broadcasts of important events in the field of sports and culture via the open networks
