in 1999 the "nederlands instituut voor de classificatie van audiovisuele media" was founded, in close cooperation with the ministries of education, culture & science (ocw), public health, wellbeing and sport (vws) and justice. nicam began with an initiating and coordinating role in the founding of kijkwijzer, which was officially accepted by the government in 2000, and became a law on february 22, 2001.