The TV series Clever minds sings the praises of Flemish science and innovation. The makers were given the assignment from above. The program is said to have been created in consultation with the cabinet of Flemish Prime Minister Jan Jambon (N-VA), which was also responsible for the financing. You hear that The standard from eight well-placed sources from various departments within the VRT.
The program was first discussed in June last year, says a source within the VRT. “Then the top said: we are going to make that. The title was even already fixed.” The assignment met with indignation from several people within the broadcaster. It is unusual for the top to dictate proposals to the makers. NIn their opinion, it is a program tailor-made for the government. “It was agreed by the management with the cabinet,” it said.
The standard was given access to an internal document from last summer, in which the VRT management Clever minds links to the technology festival FTI (Flanders Technology & Innovation), Jambon’s prestige project. Striking: when the Prime Minister opened the technology festival last month, he used the phrase “bright minds” in his communications. It is also a subtitle in a news item on his site.
It was also asked to broadcast the program before the elections, several sources report. It led to a riot, after which the management had to calm things down. The election deadline could no longer be met.
Fog layer
The standard has two internal documents showing that the VRT relied on Flemish money. According to one document, the broadcaster expects a subsidy of more than half a million euros from FTI. There is a layer of fog surrounding this financing. “We never communicate about budgets,” says VRT spokesperson Bob Vermeir.
Flemish Minister Bart Somers (Open VLD) asked the VRT to make more programs about digital skills. The digital dilemma, among other things, arose from this. — © vrt
“Not a euro has been reserved for this at the moment,” says Olivier Van Raemdonck, Jambon’s spokesperson. The government does anticipate this. “In the context of FTI, we will soon look at whether we can collaborate on a number of programs. And Clever minds is certainly interesting. It may well be that the VRT hopes to use that program within FTI, and that collaboration is possible. But there are no commitments about that yet.”
The VRT claims that the name and concept were devised internally, and that the broadcaster independently determines the content of the program. She also states that external parties have no influence on the broadcast schedule. Van Raemdonck also denies that the idea or title came from the cabinet, that it had anything to say about the content, and that it had asked to broadcast the series before the elections.
Jars of money
Many VRT employees link the issue to the financial problems there. The Flemish government made significant cuts in resources. “At the same time, cabinets are setting aside money for programs that fit their ideological agenda, or that are in line with a minister’s spearhead,” says a source within the VRT.
The story of Flanders was criticized for being ideologically biased. — © vrt
The top would describe this internally as “getting the money where it is”, and adding that the VRT takes the initiative and retains control. But internally, some fear that the VRT is increasingly following the government’s hand. “We are on a slippery slope and we do not realize how we are slipping,” he said. Even if such a program is made according to the rules of the art, “it is a problem if you can no longer decide for yourself what you make or not. If this is done in consultation with cabinets, what is the next step?”
In itself, a form of ‘institutional financing’ of TV programs by the government has always existed. That is not necessarily problematic, as critics within the broadcaster also acknowledge. But the brutal way Clever minds from above when a ready-made assignment was dictated, stood out. For several people it felt like a line was being crossed. “You could say that it is allowed according to the letter,” says a source within the broadcaster. “But you feel that all this is not correct.”
Clever minds is not the only program for which Flanders is making money available. With the support of the cabinet of Flemish Minister of Education and Sports Ben Weyts (N-VA), there will be The right direction, about education, and a program about sports in Flanders. The VRT will receive 650,000 euros for it. The minister describes it as an opportunity to improve the image of TSO and BSO education and to get young people into sports. “If strong visual media can help with this, we will not miss this opportunity,” says Weyts. There will also be a program that is in line with the policy of Flemish Minister of Mobility Lydia Peeters (Open VLD), on cycling. The VRT will receive 246,450 euros for this.
Last year, the VRT also received 2 million euros from Flemish Minister Bart Somers (Open VLD) to make programs about digital skills. The broadcaster called this “much needed additional resources”. Among other The digital dilemma, Tim Verheyden’s documentary, emerged from this. And there was too The story of Flanders, made by an external production house and broadcast by VRT. The historical documentary series was criticized for being ideologically biased. The Flemish government invested 2.4 million euros in it.
Applause from the cabinets
According to our information, Karen Donders plays an important role in those deals. As director of public assignment, it is her job to maintain contacts with politicians. Together with content director Ricus Jansegers, she is considered an intimate of CEO Frederik Delaplace.
“They go to cabinets with the question: ‘What do you want, this is what we want?’” the broadcaster said. According to several insiders, the VRT top is trying to gain favor with certain cabinets. “That way they get applause.”
The standard spoke to ten well-placed people, most from different departments within VRT. After a gag order imposed by CEO Frederik Delaplace, and in a period marked by layoffs, they only wanted to speak anonymously. Their names are known to the editors. The standard was also able to view various internal documents.
