Omroepvereniging VARA

For other meanings of VARA, see Vara (disambiguation).

Omroepvereniging VARA

Type	Public broadcaster
Country	Netherlands
Availability	Netherlands and parts of Belgium
Founded	1 November 1925 (85 years)
Owner	membership association
Former names	Vereeniging van Arbeiders Radio Amateurs
Official website	omroep.vara.nl

The Omroepvereniging VARA (VARA Broadcasting Association) is a Dutch public broadcasting association operating within the framework of the Nederlandse Publieke Omroep system, founded in 1925 as the Vereeniging van Arbeiders Radio Amateurs^[1] (Association of Worker Radio Amateurs). The name was changed to Omroepvereniging VARA in 1957 and is no longer an acronym.

VARA's original focus was on labour and socialism, and in the era of Dutch pillarization the association had close links to the Social Democratic Workers Party and its follow-up organization, the Labour Party. For many years VARA's chairmen were prominent members of the party, such as Marcel van Dam and Andre Kloos. In more recent times the connection between the two organizations has loosened although there remain many affinities, including a largely shared support base.

Programming

Former and present VARA television programmes include:

• Pipo de Clown
• Kassa
• Kinderen geen Bezwaar
• Kinderen voor Kinderen
• Oppassen!!!
• Unit 13
• talk shows hosted by Sonja Barend
• De Wereld Draait Door, a live programme about current events hosted by Matthijs van Nieuwkerk
• shows presented by Paul de Leeuw
• Alfred J. Kwak (cartoon series)
• Sonic X (Anime Series)
• The Smurfs (cartoon series)
• De Film van Ome Willem (children's comedy show)
• "Pauw & Witteman", a live programme about current events hosted by Jeroen Pauw and Paul Witteman

Notes

1. ^ Note that the word "vereeniging" is old-fashioned Dutch spelling; today, it is written as "vereniging".

External links

• VARA website