The Media Park in Hilversum has been given planning permission expand by 170,000 square metres. Hilversum councillor Lon Jooren-van der Boor said yesterday it was a milestone for the media centre, and announced that in 2011 the sixtieth anniversary anniversary of Dutch television will be celebrated there.
The Media Park is home to a large number of broadcasters, production companies and the Dutch Institute for Sound and Vision. It currently employs over six thousand people, but that number will rise substantially with the expansion. Outdated buildings will make way for new ones. The expansion plan includes space for new amenities such as a hotel, restaurants and small retailers. Also, the area will become more attractive to the public visiting a recording or live production. In April a child care centre is due to open.
The plan is not without its critics. RTL Nederland has already indicated that it wants to move to Amsterdam. The other major commercial TV broadcaster in the Netherlands, SBS, is already based in Amsterdam. Some critics within the industry cite the continuing traffic problems around and within Hilversum, and say there needs to be investment in better road connections.
(Source: AD/Broadcast Magazine/R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)