Wilfred Genee delivers the most watched election debate to date: The Debate of the Netherlands attracted 1.4 million viewers yesterday. “But all that cackling at the same time was a bit of a shame.”
SBS 6 is also fully participating in the run-up to the House of Representatives elections and this is mainly thanks to the men of Today Inside. The presenter and political reporters of that program appeared on prime time last night with Het Debat van Nederland. It ensured viewing success: 1.4 million people watched the TV.
Record for Wilfred
Wilfred Genee has done a fantastic job, says ratings agency Tina Nijkamp. “The Debate of the Netherlands scores very high. A wonderful score and this score represents 2 records. It is the most watched election debate to date. Both College Tour and the RTL debates scored around a million. The second RTL debate is slightly below that.”
And what is the second record? “It is the second election debate ever for SBS 6 and also scores higher than then: around 1.2 million. That was in 2003 with Ton van Royen.”
VI review
The follow-up review in Today Inside attracted almost the same number of viewers, namely five thousand more. “VI also has a top rating, which also ranks in the top 5 of their most watched broadcasts. In the commercial target group 25 to 54 years old, VI scores a huge 41.4 percent market share and Het Debat 34.7 percent.”
Tina thinks this cannot go without consequences. “It can hardly be otherwise that Wilfred Genee or all the men of VI will become Media Person of the Year this year. What a success, record after record is broken.”
Cackling
There have been many positive reactions to the TV debate with Wilfred. “I’m biased, but this debate is a breath of fresh air. So it is possible in the Netherlands: debate based on specific questions from voters and then take plenty of time for it 🍿,” says Raymond Mens on X.
NOS star Dominique van der Heyde: “What a good debate on SBS6. Sometimes mixed, but very dynamic and good interaction with the audience. Compliments also to Genee.”
What does Talitha think?
TV star Talitha Muusse is also enthusiastic. “Most real debate yet. More substantive corrections and tighter management might have made things a little better. But this structure did ensure that the differences were highlighted more clearly than in other debates.”
There is criticism of the cackling at the same time. “That shouting at each other is a shame. But this debate and this atmosphere are definitely a breath of fresh air,” says radio DJ Wouter van der Goes.
X
RTL Boulevard star Luuk Ikink has to laugh at Wilfred: