Quiz and reality shows such as Een tegen 100 and Bed & Breakfast are on a list of public television programmes which could get the axe under the new media law, the Telegraaf said on Thursday.

The paper used freedom of information legislation to find out which shows don’t attract sufficient ‘hard to reach’ viewers and are included on a culture ministry black list of programmes which could be for the chop.

The previous cabinet tightened up the rules for public broadcasters, saying they can only produce light entertainment shows if they attract a ‘hard to reach’ audience. If not, the shows are better left to the commercial sector, the new rules state.

Instead, the public broadcasters should focus on educational or informative programming.

Popular shows such as Wie is de Mol and Boer zoekt Vrouw do attract enough viewers and can remain on the public channels, the Telegraaf said.

A spokesman for the public broadcasters’ association said the list is a ‘first attempt’. Programmes will only disappear from the public broadcasting system if they fail to pass the test in a second season, the spokesman said.