Regulatory authorities

The government does not want to be involved with controlling media and media content on a regular basis. Therefore, it founded the Commissariaat voor de Media (CvdM) in 1988. The CvdM is particularly important in controlling websites and local, regional and national broadcasters. The licences for public local broadcasters (one for every municipality, financed by the government) are issued and controlled by CvdM. The CvdM also handles checking legal requirements like the ban on commercial activities by public broadcasters. Commercial activities like mergers and possible cartels are handled by the Autoriteit Consument en Markt (ACM).