About NOS
As the largest news organization of the Netherlands, the NOS offers reliable, independent round-the-clock reporting on news, current affairs, sports and national and international events. The NOS does this within the framework of the Dutch public broadcasting system and through a wide array of platforms: television, radio, online (www.nos.nl), mobile apps, teletext, smart tv’s, game consoles, narrow-casting and social networks. All of this makes the NOS the premier and most trusted source of information in the Netherlands.
Organization
The Dutch Broadcasting Foundation (Nederlandse Omroep Stichting – NOS) was founded in May 1969 through a merger of the Netherlands Radio Union (NRU, established in 1947) and the Netherlands Television Union (NTU, established in 1951).
By law and by its mission statement, the NOS must provide objective coverage of news, sports and (inter)national events on all available media for all inhabitants of the Netherlands in order to inform them and thus enable them to better form their own opinion. It operates independently from the government, even though the Dutch public broadcasting system is partially funded by tax payers’ money (and partially by the revenue of commercials). The public broadcasting system in the Netherlands consists of three tv-channels and six radio stations nationwide and thirteen regional television and radio broadcasters.
The NOS has nearly 850 full time staff, some 450 of whom work for the News department, around 190 for the Sports department and around 20 for the Events department. NOS staff and studios are based in Hilversum, along with most other broadcasting and audiovisual companies in the Netherlands.
Board of directors: Gerard Timmer (CEO) and Geert Hofman (CFO).
News
The News department produces many news programs on all platforms. Among these productions are (half)hourly news bulletins on radio and television. The NOS Eight O’Clock News, the flagship evening news program, averages around two million viewers, making it the best watched tv-program in the Netherlands on most nights (commercial stations included). In case of breaking news, the NOS can override the scheduled programming on public channel NPO 1 (tv) and NPO Radio 1 in order to report live.
Twice a day (morning and early evening), the NOS produces the NOS Jeugdjournaal (NOS Youth Journal), a news program especially targeted at the 9 to 12 age group. Not with children’s news, but with news for children, i.e. what happens around the world, but with a tone of voice and choice of video footage adapted to young viewers.
Together with public broadcaster NTR, the NOS is also responsible for the daily current events program Nieuwsuur (News Hour), with in-depth reporting and interviews.
On the news and sports channel NPO Radio 1 the NOS offers a current affairs news programme in the morning (NOS Radio 1 Journaal) and in the late afternoon (Nieuws en Co).
Parliamentary coverage is produced and broadcast from studios in The Hague, directly opposite the seat of the Dutch government. Furthermore, the News department has around 30 correspondents in some 20 countries in all parts of the world.
Editor-in-chief: Giselle van Cann.
Sports
Every day, the Sports department boasts a wide range of programmes, covering all sports on all platforms. The programs that feature summaries of Dutch Premier League football are among the most popular on Dutch television. A great number of sports are covered live, both on television and radio and online. Dedicated websites around e.g. the Olympics or the World Cup football draw vast audiences.
Editor-in-chief: Jacqueline Smit.
Events
The Events department produces programs and documentaries, often live, on national and international events, such as the opening of the parliamentary year, the commemoration of the end of World War II and program on the Dutch Royal Family.
Editor-in-chief: Heidi Wulfsen