- published: 06 Jan 2012
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Nederland 3 (English: Netherlands 3) is the third and youngest of the terrestrial television channels operated by the Dutch public-broadcasting organization NPO in the Netherlands and carries programs provided by member-based non-profit broadcasting associations. It is oriented towards children, youth and innovative television.
Nederland 3 was established on 4 April 1988. The original plan was for the third Dutch public television channel to be a joint venture with the Flemish public broadcaster VRT (then called BRTN), which would specialize in Flemish-Dutch cultural programming. This plan failed however.
Nederland 3 became the home channel of the broadcasters VPRO, VARA, RVU, and NPS, all of which share a progressive outlook. The channel focused on news, debate, culture and innovative television. Before the evening peak the channel's programming, organized by NPO under the label Z@ppelin, was aimed at children.
In September 2006, the programming of NPO's television channels was changed slightly. Today Nederland 3 still focuses on children during the daytime. In the evening it aims to reach an open-minded audience with innovative, educational television and occasionally sport. All Dutch public broadcasting organizations have air-time on Nederland 1, 2, and 3; youth-oriented broadcaster BNN's programs, however, are currently broadcast only on Nederland 3.