Netflix should invest in Dutch audio-visual sector, says culture council

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Foreign streaming businesses such as Netflix and Amazon should invest in Dutch media productions and help the audio-visual sector find a place in the new media landscape, the Dutch culture council said on Thursday.

Public and commercial broadcasters have to meet rules on native productions and this should also be applied to on-demand platforms like Netflix, the council said.

In France, for example, Netflix is required to ensure 20% of its home page selection is French, the council points out.

The council said that the Dutch film and television industry is finding it increasingly difficult to deliver enough quality product to maintain its market share. ‘This is pressuring the dissemination of Dutch cultural and public values,’ the council said.

The popularity of online platforms means Dutch advertising money is increasingly streaming towards foreign programme makers, the report said, adding that ‘serious measures need to be taken to strengthen the Dutch audio-visual sector.

EU ministers agreed last year that on-demand platforms should ensure at least 30% of their offer is made up of European productions.

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