L1, also known by its original name Omroep Limburg (lit.'Limburg Broadcasting'), is a regional public broadcaster in the Netherlands, specifically serving the province of Limburg. Founded in 1988 to replace the Regionale Omroep Zuid [nl] (ROZ), the station rebranded to L1 in 1999 following a merger with the commercial broadcaster TV8 Limburg [nl].
History
On 24 December 1945, the Regionale Omroep Zuid [nl] (ROZ) – the first regional radio station in the Netherlands – began its broadcasts in Limburg.[1][2] The station operated under the umbrella of the Dutch Radio Union (NFU) and, from 1969, the Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (NOS).[1] In 1988, the regional broadcasting services were detached from the NOS, following the implementation of the Media Act.[3] The ROZ was then dissolved and replaced by the newly founded Omroep Limburg as Limburg's regional public broadcaster.[1][3]
In 1997, the commercial regional television station TV8 Limburg [nl] was established.[1] Later that year, Omroep Limburg also began broadcasting on television.[1] Due to cable network limitations, the channels shared the same frequency: Omroep Limburg aired from 7:15 to 19:15, while TV8 Limburg took over during the evening and early morning hours.[1][4] Because of the legal and practical challenges posed by the shared television frequency, the two broadcasters merged in June 1999 to form L1.[1][2]
