Frans Klein, the big television boss of the NPO, sees his position falter now that the cesspool around Matthijs van Nieuwkerk has opened. “Can he still sit still?”
There is also a very bad role for Frans Klein in the Volkskrant story about the abuses behind the scenes at De Wereld Draait Door. He appears to have looked away from it for years serious misconduct by presenter Matthijs van Nieuwkerk. How is it possible that someone like that now leads the entire NPO?
French looks away
Frans was the media director of BNNVARA for many years before he ended up in his current position of NPO boss. There are numerous examples in de Volkskrant that prove that he was aware of Matthijs’ behavior all along.
For example, former editor Wim van Klaveren says in the newspaper: “I told Frans Klein that he had to intervene. That it couldn’t go on like this. That editors fell victim to the whims of Van Nieuwkerk and Wynia. Frans said: ‘If we intervene, the program may have to stop. Do you know how many jobs that is?”
Thick with Matthijs
Editors knew that the toxic work culture was accepted by all bigwigs. “John de Mol talked about counters after the revelations about The Voice. But we had no counters. Frans Klein was very thick with Matthijs and Dieuwke. So you didn’t mind going to him,” says another former editor.
Dieuwke Wynia, the former editor-in-chief of DWDD who is now also in the victim role creeps but was just such a tyrant himself, says: “Frans Klein once said: ‘There is only one person who can set the boundaries, that’s you. So do that too, otherwise you will create a monster.’ Klein should have intervened. Everyone knew.”
French responds
French reacts very falsely: “I don’t know if I said that. But if that is the case, then I don’t know whether I meant the monster Matthijs or the monster Dieuwke.”
Why has he always looked away? Matthijs’ behavior was outrageous, wasn’t it? “Yes, that goes too far. But I’m going to say it anyway: maybe we thought that violent behavior was normal in many places in the media world. I’m not proud of it, I don’t think it’s pretty – but that work culture was so hard in many places in Hilversum.”
“I can’t help but regret. Otherwise I would have to be locked up.”
“He’s got to get out!”
Critics wonder whether Frans can still stay on. Former NOS boss Hans Laroes: “Everyone in the TV village knows that the divine Matthijs enjoys total protection from NPO boss Frans Klein. Everyone else had to take it. If Matthijs moved his hand slightly, he already had the program and budget he wanted, and any behavior was allowed.”
Telegraaf presenter Wilson Boldewijn: “Shocking. Already knew a lot through acquaintances who worked there. But the worst part is that the top boss knew about it and did nothing because of the success.”
Televizier journalist Jef Willemsen: “What does it say about the TV industry if the highest boss of the NPO does not immediately make it a problem that employees are ‘ground up’?”
“Can he stay?”
AD opinion diva Angela de Jong at Jinek: “Personally, I am especially curious about Frans Klein, who is a very big boss at the NPO. He has always known and tolerated this. Can he stay put?”
Fellow guest Joost Vullings: “It would have been done in The Hague. If he had been a minister. This is of course very serious. And he always just talked it right. He didn’t want to slaughter the goose that laid the golden eggs.”
Thomas Bruning of journalists association NVJ: “I think it would be very healthy if someone would think about it for a moment.”
Kim Jong Un
TV director Bert van der Veer criticizes Frans’s role. “The Kim Jong-un of the NPO, yes. That is a kind of dictator and does not dare to appear at the table here. (…) Matthijs is his child.”
Patty Brard considers Frans jointly responsible for the abuses at the DWDD. She says in Shownieuws: “I really think that gentlemen like Frans Klein, say the top of the NPO, should also scratch their heads whether they should not have had that conversation with Matthijs a little earlier. Then maybe the handbrake could have been pulled.”
Frans’ attitude leads to cynicism among VI star Johan Derksen: “He was aware from the very first minute. All bosses were aware, because it has been reported all the time. I am not surprised.”
