A big setback for SBS 6: one of the channel’s few ratings hits outside of Today Inside, The Tribute: Battle of the Bands, loses its presenter. Gerard Ekdom leaves…
Big news in radio land: Radio 10 star Gerard Ekdom and NPO Radio 2 DJs Wouter van der Goes and Frank van ‘t Hof are switching to Radio Veronica, the station of Mediahuis (the company behind De Telegraaf). Gerard is the big star of Talpa’s hit station Radio 10, so John de Mol will definitely not be happy with this.
Gerard left SBS 6
Gerard will leave in the summer, which means his TV work at SBS 6 will come to an abrupt end. “With Gerard Ekdom’s switch from Radio 10 to Radio Veronica, in addition to his radio work, his television work with us will also end,” he said. a Talpa spokesperson said A.D.
It is a big disappointment for SBS 6, because Gerard is the face of the important program The Tribute: Battle of the Bands. About a million people watch it, including postponed viewing, so that is a great success. There is a chance that a new presenter will change that.
John’s revenge?
It is of course possible that Gerard wants to focus entirely on radio from now on, but it is more likely that Mediahuis or Talpa does not want him to continue working for both companies. Since Mediahuis has no TV channels, it will not be a disaster for that company if Gerard continues to make TV for Talpa, so it seems that this comes from John de Mol.
According to ratings authority Tina Nijkamp, John is done with Gerard. “I can imagine that John de Mol is not happy with this switch at all. Radio 10 is its largest radio station. So either Gerard and John on speaking terms are? Perhaps he can persuade Edwin Evers to present the programs on TV.”
Rob gone too?
It could be that there will be even more bad news for John de Mol, because according to radio columnist Patrick Kicken, Radio 10 is also in danger of losing Rob van Someren to Mediahuis. He would work for Radio Veronica’s sister station 100% NL. “Rob and the Dutch product have always been a match.”
He continues in his column on Speaking tube: “I see that combination, Van Someren on 100%NL. But I can see De Mol’s favorite 10 being completely stripped bare. The only one they currently have left to fill one of the two drivetime slots is Lex Gaarthuis. Unless of course they are smart and call… Eddy Keur!”