“It was announced last Tuesday Checkout ends at the end of 2026. We think that is very bad. And apparently you too,” reads a message on Instagram.
“Because you really flooded us with messages of support, videos, emails, stories, and even a petition. Thank you for that. Because what you are letting us know en masse is: Checkout represents people who would otherwise not be heard. And that is exactly the task of the public broadcaster.”
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‘We’ll be fine’
The makers say that the decision is about “money, reach and figures” but feels “like a message to the people for whom we stand up: There are too few of you. And yes, the people we let speak – the consumers, the citizens, people who are stuck – rarely come in large numbers. And that is precisely what gives those stories the right to exist.”
The editorial staff of Checkout says that they will survive, but the people in question will not. “And that’s where the problem comes in. Because depriving vulnerable groups of their stage because they are said to be ‘too few’ – does not suit a public broadcaster that claims to be there for everyone. But we are there for you. And we will remain there, until our last broadcast.”
Presenter Amber Kortzorg also shares the message on Instagram. She also thanks her followers for all the responses. “We are moved,” she writes. “You are great!”