Oh, oh: NPO apostle Tijs van den Brink is pissed off. While Op1 mainly makes the news because of behind-the-scenes quarrels, competitor VI dominates the headlines. “What’s their opinion?!”
Not Op1 nor the late talk show of RTL 4, but Today Inside is by far the most discussed talk show on Dutch television. And that of course causes some jealousy, because every talk show wants the talk of the town are. Op1 star Tijs van den Brink is now complaining about it NPO Radio 1 about VI controlling the headlines so incredibly.
‘What does it matter?!’
Johan Derksen thinks this, René van der Gijp thinks that. Buoy! At least, that’s what Tijs thinks. “It is made so important. What does it matter what Johan Derksen thinks of Dilan Yesilgöz?” he roars.
Media analyst Jaap van Zessen on this: “I know a lot of people who don’t watch Op1 or an RTL talk show, but do watch VI. For years. And that’s all they get from the news. So if Derksen says there: ‘This time I’m voting for Caroline van der Plas’, and the BBB becomes the largest three days later… There is definitely a connection.”
‘I don’t believe it!’
Tijs thinks that the big talk show competitor is really not that influential. “So I don’t believe in that at all. Mark Rutte was there just before the elections, fantastic viewing figures and Mark Rutte had a very mediocre result. He had done very well, everyone thought, and yet he had a very bad result.”
Johan influencing his supporters? Lariekoek, thinks Tijs. “A lot of people already find something and then they watch television. But people don’t suddenly vote for the PvdA because Johan Derksen says that Frans Timmermans is a nice man. I don’t believe that at all. I think it is a serious underestimation of the voter.”
“An entire article!”
One of the media participating in this is the AD, says Tijs. “I saw an article in the AD where it was cheerfully written down what the men of VI think of the party leaders. Just a whole article about the opinion of Johan Derksen and René van de Gijp about Dilan Yesilgöz and Frans Timmermans and so on.”
The newspaper even brought in an expert, grumbles Tijs. He is referring to Kay van der Linde. “I then think: guys, what is it about? There are a few people with opinions, let them express those opinions!”