The two broadcasters have teamed up with the Belgian VTM broadcasting group to explore the feasibility of the move. Both AVRO and Tros, which air family-oriented programming, have voiced concerns that competition from commercial broadcasters has forced them to increase their sports and entertainment output to maintain ratings sufficient to retain their licences.
The Dutch media tycoon John de Mol's plans to launch his own commercial television channel in The Netherlands next year have prompted analysts to cast doubt over the potential success of an AVRO/Tros/VTM channel.