THE HAGUE, 30/05/08 - Culture Minister Ronald Plasterk is not taking any action against the broadcasting of explicit pornographic films on public TV channel Nederland 3. They are art, in his view.

Public broadcasters VPRO and NPS, who are paid for out of public funds, will broadcast 13 films this summer under the label of Cinema Erotica. They are thus providing a follow-up to the broadcast last winter of the controversial film Deep Throat.

Small Christian party SGP's leader Bas van der Vlies had asked the minister to ban Cinema Erotica. The MP considers the films involved, which include explicit sex scenes, are tasteless and do not belong on TV - certainly not on public broadcasters.

But according to the Labour (PvdA) minister, the productions are stylish. "These films are characterised by connoisseurs as artistic," Plasterk said in a letter to parliament.

Plasterk sees no reason whatever to intervene. Nor does the government have the means to do so. The Commissariat for the Media watchdog checks afterwards whether the broadcasters have kept to the rules, was the minister's answer.