Editing VPRO (section)

== History ==
[[File:Nicolette Bruining (2).jpg|thumb|273x273px|[[Nicolette Bruining]], one of the founders of the V.P.R.O and chairwoman of V.P.R.O from 1926 to 1956.]]
In the 1920s, the first radio broadcasting companies were established in the Netherlands. These broadcasting companies were divided into pillars, in which each religious and ideological group had its own facilities, including its own radio broadcasting company. A small pillorized group in the Netherlands were the [[Liberal Christianity|liberal Protestants]], who were followers of liberal Protestantism and believed that people should allow their Christian faith to be strongly determined by an undogmatic attitude, in which freedom of thought and belief based on one's own insights is central. This group of Protestants were a minority within the Protestant pillar in the Netherlands, but they did want the opportunity to make their voices heard. That is why the Vrijzinnig Protestantse Radio Omroep (V.P.R.O.) was founded on May 29, 1926 by the Central Committee for Liberal Protestantism.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-06-03 |title=Geschiedenis van de VPRO |url=https://isgeschiedenis.nl/nieuws/geschiedenis-van-de-vpro |access-date=2025-01-11 |website=IsGeschiedenis |language=nl}}</ref> What distinguished the broadcaster from the Protestant broadcaster [[Nederlandse Christelijke Radio Vereniging|N.C.R.V.]] (founded in 1925) was that the programming of the V.P.R.O. was based on humanism and liberal Protestantism, which meant that there was a 'general' programming.

The V.P.R.O. had a hard time in its early years. Because the V.P.R.O. was founded later than the other broadcasters, the broadcaster had little airtime and had to change channels often. This changed in the early 1930s, when the Zendtijdbesluit came into effect. The Zendtijdbesluit was introduced by the Dutch government to fairly distribute radio airtime among the broadcasters. As a result, the V.P.R.O. received more airtime than it had previously. At the same time, the V.P.R.O. strongly opposed the pillorized broadcasting system in the Netherlands. They were in favour of a national broadcaster. But because there was no support for this idea among the other broadcasters and politicians, the V.P.R.O. decided to adhere to the Zendtijdbesluit and remained an independent broadcaster.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vo1_MwEACAAJ |title=Een eeuw van beeld en geluid |date=January 12, 2025 |publisher=Nederlands Instituut voor Beeld en Geluid |isbn=9789077806135 |language=nl|trans-title=A century of sound and vision}}</ref>

=== VPRO during WWII ===
On March 9, 1941, the V.P.R.O. and the other radio broadcasters were closed down by the [[Netherlands in World War II|German occupiers]] and replaced by the Rijksradio Omroep, which broadcast [[Nazism|national socialist propaganda]]. Before that, the V.P.R.O. was able to continue broadcasting its programs from 1940 to 1941. This was because the radio broadcasters, including the V.P.R.O., did what the German occupiers wanted from the start, to prevent their broadcaster from being closed down.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Het verraad van Hilversum: propaganda bij de omroepen in oorlogstijd |url=https://www.eo.nl/artikel/het-verraad-van-hilversum-propaganda-bij-de-omroepen-in-oorlogstijd |access-date=2025-01-11 |website=www.eo.nl |language=nl}}</ref> For example, the V.P.R.O. had to submit its programming to a censorship committee, which determined what would and would not be included in the broadcast, and the broadcaster also dismissed Jewish employees, in order to meet the wishes of the Germans. In addition, the V.P.R.O. broadcasting guide contained bad things about Jews. According to the V.P.R.O., it did this because of the liberalism that the broadcaster was pursuing. The broadcaster believed that everyone should have a say, including national socialists.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Het verraad van Hilversum |url=https://npo.nl/start/serie/het-verraad-van-hilversum/seizoen-1/de-publieke-omroep-in-oorlogstijd/afspelen |access-date=2025-01-11 |website=NPO Start |language=nl}}</ref> Despite the obedience, the V.P.R.O. was dissolved in 1941. The Rijksradio Omroep took over part of the broadcaster's programming. In 1947, the V.P.R.O. was re-established after the government had made a failed attempt to form a national broadcaster.
[[File:Omroepembleem VPRO, Bestanddeelnr 926-2848.jpg|left|thumb|248x248px|Opening of a VPRO program in 1973.]]

=== 1950s to present ===
In 1951, [[Television in the Netherlands|television was introduced in the Netherlands]]. The broadcasting companies [[AVRO|A.V.R.O]], [[Katholieke Radio Omroep|K.R.O]], N.C.R.V and [[Omroepvereniging VARA|V.A.R.A]] were the first broadcasting companies to start broadcasting on television, and together they founded the [[Nederlandse Omroep Stichting|Nederlandse Televisie Stichting]] (NTS). The V.P.R.O became a member of the NTS in 1952 and has also been making television programs since then.

The V.P.R.O. underwent a cultural shift in the late 1960s. Due to the change in mentality that arose in the Netherlands in the 1960s, a new generation of programme makers joined the broadcaster who were supporters of the [[flower power]] movement. They managed to convince the broadcaster's board and the members of the V.P.R.O. to distance themselves from Protestantism and to become a progressive broadcaster. The name of the broadcaster was changed to VPRO, which meant that the broadcaster distanced itself from the original abbreviation.
[[File:VPRO VARA RVU NPS gebouw 1.JPG|thumb|Shared headquarters of the broadcasters VPRO, [[Omroepvereniging VARA|VARA]], RVU and [[Nederlandse Programma Stichting|NPS]] in 2007. Nowadays the broadcasters [[Omroep NTR|NTR]], [[BNNVARA]] and [[Humanistische Omroep|HUMAN]] are located in the same building as the VPRO.]]
In 1984, the VPRO achieved B status, because the broadcaster had enough members (in the Netherlands, a public broadcaster must have enough members for airtime). Partly due to the amendment of the Omroepwet, the VPRO was able to grow into a large, established broadcaster. This was because the broadcaster gained many members, which allowed it to achieve A status in 1991.

In 2010, the public broadcasters in the Netherlands had to make cutbacks due to the policy of the [[First Rutte cabinet|Rutte I cabinet]]. Because less money was given to the broadcasters, some broadcasters decided to work together or merge. In 2011, the VPRO was in talks with the AVRO about a possible merger of both broadcasters.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-05-06 |title=TROS en AVRO willen fuseren |url=https://nos.nl/nieuwsuur/artikel/238410-tros-en-avro-willen-fuseren |access-date=2025-01-11 |website=nos.nl |language=nl}}</ref> In 2011, VPRO announced that it did not want to merge with AVRO, because it wanted to remain independent. Since 2016, VPRO has been working with humanist broadcaster [[Humanistische Omroep|Omroep HUMAN]]. Since 2016, the broadcasters have been producing radio and television programs together. In 2021, VPRO and HUMAN decided to work together in the collaborative organization VPRO-HUMAN. In 2022, VPRO-HUMAN was recognized by Minister [[Arie Slob]] of Education and Culture.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Minister Slob verleent erkenning aan VPRO-HUMAN |url=https://www.vpro.nl/lees/nieuws-vpro/2021/minister-slob-verleent-erkenning-aan-vpro-human.html |access-date=2025-01-11 |website=VPRO |language=nl}}</ref>
[[File:PhilBloomTrouw1967.jpg|thumb|305x305px|Model [[Phil Bloom]] reads the [[Trouw]] newspaper naked in the television program ''Hoepla'' (1967).]]