Media minister Marja van Bijsterveldt is not in favour of scrapping one of the three public television channels as part of a cost-cutting package, she told MPs on Monday.

Speaking during a debate on her ministry’s budget, Van Bijsterveldt said she wanted to look carefully at the media spending plans.
A cut of €200m in government spending on broadcasting is part of the new coalition’s agreement. And VVD MPs argue this will damage standards so much that one broadcast channel must go.

Review
The minister said she would present MPs with a new vision on the public broadcasting sector, which is partly funded by advertising and partly by the state, by next summer.
During the debate, MPs from the ruling CDA and VVD, supported by populist PVV, said they were determined to press ahead with a €200m cut in subsidies for the arts, and an increase in value added tax on theatre tickets.
And a special museum and theatre discount card for youngsters is also likely to be abolished, despite its reported success.
Nevertheless, the plan to increase tax on theatre tickets is likely to run into trouble in the senate, where are majority of senators oppose the plan.