Commercial radio stations in the Netherlands have been given an unexpected extension of their licences, which were due for renewal in September of 2011.

Deputy Economic Affairs Minister Frank Heemskerk wrote to the Lower House that commercial FM broadcasters like Sky Radio, Radio 538 and BNR Nieuwsradio can remain on air after 2011, on condition that they start parallel broadcasts using digital technology. The stations have been given an extra six years after 2011.

Mr Heemskerk argues that this will ensure that commercial licencees provide digital radio on the TDAB frequencies allotted to the Netherlands in years to come. He estimates that at least 80 percent of Dutch households should be able to receive digital radio by September 2015. Public broadcasters have been allotted TDAB frequencies for at least nine radio stations.

He added that two FM licences which recently reverted to the government when music stations Arrow Classic Rock and Arrow Jazz defaulted on payments will be reserved for future "newcomers in the radio market". Furthermore, several unused local FM transmitters will be used to repair gaps in coverage that were caused by a 2003 re-allocation of frequencies.

As part of the plans, publicly funded radio channel FunX, which targets a young audience with non-Dutch roots in major cities, will get a wider distribution.

European member states have agreed to switch off their analogue terrestrial broadcasts by 2012. The Netherlands has accomplished this for TV, but for radio the transition is still in progress.