Disagreement regarding the appointment of an interim director may lead to the breakup of the Netherlands’ newest Muslim broadcasting company. According to
Dutch broadcasting regulations, religious groups are entitled to airtime every week on national public radio and television channels. As there is just one broadcasting license per religion, broadcasting requires close cooperation between several groups whose views do not always agree. OUMA was created after the downfall of previous Islamic broadcasting organizations and was awarded a five year broadcasting license last year. It encompasses rival factions SMON, which champions the continued leadership of Maurice Koopman from the previous company, and Acadmica Islamica, which claims an agreement not to appoint people involved in the previous broadcasting organization bars Koopman from eligibility. The new OUMA combination will begin broadcasting in September.
