VRT CEO Frederik Delaplace had proposed to the unions at the end of March to appoint an “external bridge builder” to restore trust. That trust had taken a serious hit, partly due to the fuss surrounding whether or not to broadcast ‘The process that nobody wanted’, the documentary about Bart De Pauw.
Today, the VRT and the unions agreed to appoint such a mediator, the public broadcaster reports. It will be the Dutch professor Rob van Eijbergen from the Netherlands. “He is a mediator, organizational consultant, and professor of organizational integrity at the University of Humanistic Studies in Utrecht,” says VRT spokesperson Bob Vermeir.
“He supervises research into the integrity of organizations. He is also a much sought-after expert in the Dutch media to comment on integrity issues in companies and organizations. Rob van Eijbergen is expected to start his assignment at VRT soon. Trade unions and management believe in a strong public broadcaster that makes a difference in our society every day,” it said.
VRT unions deny political interference
The VRT unions now call reports about possible political interference in programs incorrect and unqualified. According to them, successive savings plans make it necessary to find additional resources to carry out the tasks set out in the management agreement. “The limited allocation is the problem, not the possible impression that the work is not done independently,” says Carlos Van Hoeymissen of ACV.
A new TV series that is in the making at VRT, ‘Knappe heads’, 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. It is not the only program for which Flanders is making money available, but according to critics within the VRT, it has been pushed through in a brutal manner and a line has been crossed. Flemish Media Minister Benjamin Dalle (CD&V) said in a response that there is no indication of political interference in VRT programs.
According to Van Hoeymissen, the cause and possible blame lies with the implemented savings. He also refers to VRT’s capped advertising revenue. “Cooking costs money and the money has to be raised,” said the ACV trade unionist.
ACOD and VSOA also complain about the underfunding. “According to the management agreement, we have to create certain programs. If there is money for this in cabinets, VRT should be able to use it,” says Joke Kerkhofs of ACOD. “But VRT is not asking for programs to be made at the expense of cabinets.” Kerkhofs says she is looking forward to the next management agreement, although she emphasizes that there are currently other problems at the public broadcaster. According to Luck Verbeeck (VSOA), who refers to “probably a few dissatisfied people”, the VRT is in urgent need of rest and recovery.
