Nearly 500 broadcaster staff urge Dutch public broadcaster to quit Eurovision
An open letter from nearly 500 staff says the decision by the Dutch public broadcasting body (NPO) to enter next year's song contest, despite Israel's participation, puts entertainment above human lives.
Nearly 500 staff members have sent an open letter urging the NPO to withdraw from the Eurovision Song Contest. The NPO decided at the end of September that the Netherlands will take part after all. AVROTROS, the broadcaster that has handled the Dutch entry for years, had chosen not to take part because of Israel's participation and the war in Gaza.
The signatories say the wish to take part in an entertainment programme "outweighs the countless lives of people being killed". They demand clarity on how the decision was made. They also want the NPO to declare its solidarity with AVROTROS and its position.
The College van Omroepen, the umbrella body of the member broadcasters, also wants the NPO to explain how it reached the decision.
The NPO says it wants to shape the Dutch entry with an external team of experts, to which the member broadcasters may also contribute. It says it is still talking to all parties and will answer no further questions.
Cornald Maas, who has been involved in the Dutch entry since 2004, said this weekend that the NPO has not asked him to help.
Cabaret artist and writer Dolf Jansen writes in a column that he supports the #nietmijnsongfestival (not my song contest) campaign and that the Netherlands should not take part. He recounts what he said when asked about it: "This is not about the NPO, not about the Eurovision Song Contest, certainly not about me. It is about genocide, about unbelievable violence against innocent civilians."
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NPO (Nederlandse Publieke Omroep)
The organisation that runs Dutch public broadcasting: it manages the public television channels, radio stations and online services on which the public broadcasters air their programmes.
AVROTROS
AVROTROS is one of the broadcasting associations (omroepverenigingen) that make programmes for the Dutch public broadcaster NPO, producing television and radio content. It handles the Dutch entry for the Eurovision Song Contest, so its decisions on whether to take part directly affect the Netherlands' participation.
College van Omroepen
The College van Omroepen is the umbrella body of the member broadcasting associations within the Dutch public broadcasting system. It represents the joint interests of these broadcasters, including in discussions with the NPO, which coordinates the public broadcasting system.