A Dutch court has granted the independent commercial broadcaster Het Gesprek a moratorium on its payments ahead of certain liquidation if no new investors are found. The channel was launched in October 2007 by Dutch media entrepreneurs Ruud Hendriks, Derk Sauer and Frits Barend as an all-talk station.
Although Het Gesprek reached universal analogue and digital distribution over cable, DTH and IPTV, the channel failed to attract enough advertising income. Originally, the broadcaster planned an all-talk format, but the schedule was expanded with documentaries and other programming, including acquired material from BBC World News.
At the moment, Het Gesprek is still broadcasting, but its employees have been told they will lose their jobs and an and for the channel is imminent within a few weeks. The decision was taken after Egeria, the major private investor in the channel, decided to withdraw its financing.
