Johan Derksen is not really open to a switch to RTL, although he understands that his colleagues Wilfred Genee and René van der Gijp will be interested in a good offer. “Half a million more.”
The Today Inside trio is under contract with Talpa for another year and after that a return to RTL could well be in order, because the politically correct Peter van der Vorst is out as television boss. His successor is Peter Lubbers, who worked with the men of VI for years when they still broadcast on RTL 7.
Couple of jokes
However, all the noise about a possible RTL transfer is about nothing, says Johan Derksen. “We made a few jokes and that is because Peter Lubbers has become the director of RTL. We have experienced that before at RTL and we were very on board with it,” he says in Greetings from Grolloo.
He continues: “We make a few jokes about it and then all kinds of people in the Netherlands want to pee about it. They then have an opinion, they think it’s a good idea or they advise us against it, because it is indeed a risk if you change the channel. Then the audience can just drop out. Then I think: yes, guys, what are you worried about?”
Moral objections
Johan confirms that the Talpa contract still runs for one TV season. A transfer afterwards? “I have some moral objections about this. John de Mol brought us in and gave us carte blanche: ‘You are in charge of the program, you can fill it in and, as far as I’m concerned, you can discuss all topics.'”
He continues: “There is no broadcaster in the Netherlands who says to us: ‘Just fill it in, you bunch of loose missiles, and we’ll see what happens.’ Well, we made it a success and I don’t think you can just switch back to RTL, because you could possibly earn a little more there.”
Half a million
Are Wilfred and René open to it? “I don’t know. Wilfred and Van der Gijp also have a slightly different attitude, so they are almost sixty in age and they still have a few more years to go, but I think I will remain in solidarity with John de Mol and will no longer switch to RTL at my age with dollar signs in my eyes.”
He continues: “In this phase that the Netherlands is in, where people are finding it difficult financially, I think it is a big step if you earn a million at Talpa, to go to RTL for even more money. I think it is indecent.”
Five tons
Johan thinks his current salary is enough. “Look, I’m a lucky person that I ended up in this business, which means I earn a lot of money, but at a certain point you also have to be satisfied and not want more.”
Unless there is really a lot of money involved, he continues. “If they can earn five thousand euros more there, then I think it’s a good reason to think about it, but I have an unpleasant feeling about it. I think that – I will be 78 when the contract expires – I stand in solidarity with De Mol if he wants to continue.”
John explodes
According to TV authority Tina Nijkamp, the salaries of the VI stars could increase to 2.5 million euros per year compared to the current 1.2 to 1.4 million euros per year.
Tina: “When we make a joke about that to John de Mol, he almost explodes, because he thinks she has no idea about it at all. That used to be when money was splashing against the plates, he says, but I am satisfied. I also think: sometimes you have to show solidarity with the people who provide you with an opportunity.”
