The crisis is complete at RTL Tonight. The first major casualty has fallen: editor-in-chief Carlo van Lienden is resigning, so there is unrest at the show. “All interpreters now have to fear for their jobs.”
It is one of the biggest flops in the history of RTL 4: the failed late talk show RTL Tonight. Channel boss Peter van der Vorst is single-handedly destroying Renze Klamer’s career with his stubbornness. Everyone knows that this program is going off the air, but Peter is incredibly proud of his prestige project and is really dragging things out.
Carlo is out
The only solution is: take RTL Tonight off the air and make Renze Klamer the big star of the late evening. While it is still possible, because every week that this program remains on TV, Renze’s star declines. Anyway, for now Peter will continue to flog a dead horse and there will continue to be rumblings behind the scenes.
Carlo van Lienden will step down as editor-in-chief of the show. The founder of RTL Boulevard, who was recently ridiculed in Today Inside – Wilfred Genee finds it hilarious that the overformatted RTL Tonight flopped so much because he once encouraged the Talpa top to format VI much more – is out.
‘This is breaking’
The news about Carlo’s exit leaked last night via Tina Nijkamp, after which AD took over without citing the source, but with a confirmation from RTL. Tina on her analysis channel: “This step was inevitable. Something has to be done. Carlo’s approach and plan have failed. Too bad for him, but too much money is now needed and there is damage to his image.”
RTL informs Tina: “Carlo van Lienden has supervised the development and start-up of RTL Tonight and will continue to do so for the time being. As agreed with him in advance, his role is limited to the start-up phase. Now that we are seven weeks into it, producer EndemolShine Nederland has started recruiting a new editor-in-chief.”
“The editors were informed by Carlo about this application procedure this afternoon.”
Excuse
This is just an excuse, says Tina. “Understand the ‘official’ RTL story of the start-up phase. But of course he would have stayed much longer if it had been a success. And why would you communicate an application procedure to the editors? That normally never happens! Why? Too bad for Carlo again, but it didn’t work out.”
How long will RTL continue to flog a dead horse? “My prediction? It will be a muddle through until Christmas and then it will go back to Renze, Beau, Humberto and Leonie. Including a table and much fewer permanent experts.”
Insecurity
TV critic Victor Vlam now fears for all RTL Tonight experts, including former VI stars Albert Verlinde, Ben van der Burg and Lale Gül. “This plunges the program and all employees into enormous uncertainty. A new editor-in-chief will demand a mandate for drastic changes, otherwise you will not start this job.”
He continues X: “All broadcasters have to fear for their jobs. (…) A number of people have a contract with a minimum purchase guarantee. They are paid per time but therefore have some security. But that can of course be bought off. Financially that is nice. But not good for your TV career.”
Train accident
Victor finds it unprecedented that Peter keeps going. “It’s bizarre. By the time you have a new editor-in-chief and he has been trained, you are a month or two further along. So this suggests that RTL Tonight will stay for a while,” he says. “I would quit.”
According to Johan Derksen, the announcers at RTL Tonight earn twice as much as at VI. He responds Today Inside with some gloating about Carlo’s exit and the associated uncertainty for the interpreters: “How sorry those people will be for letting us go for a few cents…”
Guts
RTL Boulevard star Luuk Ikink stays up late Instagram a slime message. “Although it has already been planned, it is a shame that Carlo is leaving during difficult times for the program. I have (…) worked with him for a long time and have always admired so much commitment, the hard work and the tireless urge to try new things.”
“Together with Humberto and the editors, he made RTL Late Night a huge success. As a TV rookie, that was really amazing to see: daring to think so big and standing so firmly for your own program. It was really new for me and years of learning from the best. Unfortunately, not everything always works out right away, but the TV world must have courageous guys who always take the lead. dare to pull.”