Stichting Koekstad Media nominated as local broadcaster Deventer

Stichting Koekstad Media is nominated as the local broadcaster for the municipality of Deventer. This broadcaster is considered best suited to fulfill the role of local public broadcaster. The current license, which expires on May 20, 2026, is held by Salland1 (Stichting Algemene Omroep Deventer).

The mayor and aldermens board proposes to the municipal council to nominate Stichting Koekstad Media for the designation of the local broadcaster license Deventer 2026-2031. 

The board does this based on legal requirements, additional criteria set by the council, and the resulting advice from the Cultural Advisory Council. The actual designation is made by the Media Authority.

The local broadcaster provides news and information from the immediate living environment to residents of the municipality. Additionally, the local broadcaster acts as the watchdog of local politics and government. It also has a connecting function within the municipality. The Media Authority can designate one local broadcaster per municipality.  

The Media Authority has received 3 applications: from Stichting Algemene Omroep Deventer (Salland1), Stichting Koekstad Media, and Stichting Deventer Radio en Televisie. The Cultural Advisory Council has been asked to advise on this.

The Cultural Advisory Council is positive about Koekstad Medias application. They see the broadcaster as a local media platform with clear roots in Deventer. Koekstad Media breathes Deventer in its appearance and programming. The organization knows what is happening in the city and develops sparkling, distinctive, and surprising formats. 

However, the Advisory Council also sees some points of attention. For example, clarity is requested about the digital infrastructure, the governance structure (how the organization is led), and the financial substantiation. Koekstad Media will have to demonstrate this in the coming period.

The designation is in principle valid for 5 years. However, this may be shorter because there is a proposal to amend the Media Act. If that happens, the system of local public broadcasters will be replaced by a system of regional broadcasters. It appears that this legislative change will take effect on January 1, 2028. In that case, the upcoming designation period will not be 5 years, but only until December 31, 2027.

The municipal council has established the additional assessment criteria. It is now up to the municipal council to issue a preferred advice to the Media Authority on the designation of a new local broadcaster based on these criteria.