State Secretary wants reporting on safe workplace at NPO | every six months Media

The NPO presented a plan for a socially safe workplace on Wednesday afternoon. This plan was drawn up in response to the report on inappropriate behavior at NOS Sports and the former talk show The world goes on. The Dutch Media Authority (CvdM) must monitor how this plan is implemented.

The previous report showed that three in four (former) NPO employees who participated in the survey had experienced verbal and/or physical misconduct in the past year.

Gräper emphasizes that it is primarily the task of the broadcasters and the NPO to monitor behavior and culture. She will address the supervisory boards of the broadcasters about this. The first report is expected in the autumn.

The NPO’s plan states, among other things, that presenters must be better supervised. New broadcasting bosses are also not allowed to stay in office for more than ten years. In addition, managers must follow a course to prevent undesirable behavior.

Victims of inappropriate behavior will soon be able to contact a special committee. This is possible if they cannot or do not want to submit their complaint to their employer. There will also be a common code of conduct and a complaints procedure.

Gräper believes that organizations that are funded with public money and have an “essential function” within society should set “a good example”. “That is why it is very important that the public broadcaster takes an active approach to a cultural change.”

Not only the NPO, but also other public broadcasters are working on an action plan for a safe workplace.

“All broadcasters make their own translation of this plan as a tailor-made solution for their own organization,” says a spokesperson on behalf of Omroep MAX. “We are working on that for MAX from now on.” The VPRO will also work with its own plan, a spokesperson for that broadcaster said.

The NOS has already made further progress, says Henrik-Willem Hofs. He is chairman of the NOS works council. “After everything that happened at NOS Sports we have already conducted a broad cultural study and made plans for the entire NOS. We are now working on implementing this,” Hofs said.

Some broadcasters, including the EO and BNNVARA, refer to the response that the College of Broadcasters already gave when the plan was published. Chairman Arjen Lock said, among other things, that close involvement of all broadcasters is “crucial” for a safe working environment at the NPO.