Dries Roelvink takes a risk. The singer attacks the popular music broadcaster, AvroTros. He believes that the Eurovision Song Contest should be taken away from that party.
No Dutch act is participating in the Eurovision Song Contest this year, because AvroTros is in charge of the selection committee and they do not want to go because Israel is also participating. This boycott of the broadcaster costs the treasury approximately one million euros; so much advertising money is being missed. In the meantime, the NOS has taken over the report.
Offside
There is a good chance that Israel will participate again next year, so the AvroTros has almost no excuses to be present again. There are now calls to withdraw the song festival from that broadcaster and permanently transfer it to the NOS, but AvroTros itself does not want to hear about that.
In any case, Dries Roelvink thinks it is a good move to sideline the AvroTros. “Yes. That seems like a good idea. I think the Eurovision Song Contest has been very devalued in recent years,” he says in the Story.
What does Marijke think?
The AvroTros has made a mess of it, says Dries. “I think the best time was when we were there with a large orchestra, with Harry van Hoof as conductor. Nowadays you see so many strange acts. I can hardly watch them anymore.”
And Marijke Helwegen also wants the Eurovision Song Contest to go to NOS. She says: “Yes. I think that’s a good solution. Complete with national preliminaries and a big television final, like they used to do. I always watched it. Then you are completely involved in the song festival, with a lot of anticipation.”
Different view
Artist Ans Markus agrees. “Yes. That would be nice. NOS may have a completely different vision.”
She concludes: “And they have experience in the field of the Eurovision Song Contest. They used to organize the national final in which it was determined who could represent the Netherlands. A changing of the guard sometimes doesn’t hurt.”
