LUBACH producer rejects criticism over show’s audience and impact

The producer of Dutch late-night show LUBACH has rejected columnist Tina Nijkamp’s criticism that the programme has too few viewers and little impact, arguing that her assessment overlooks streaming and online audiences.

Pieter Klok of production company Human Factor TV said in an Instagram post that Nijkamp, a television ratings analyst who writes for De Telegraaf, was not basing her column on the facts. He argued that a programme’s lack of visibility in one audience “bubble” does not mean people are not discussing it or that it is unsuccessful.

Klok said viewing is shifting away from linear television and that LUBACH is responding by focusing on Videoland streaming and online viewing. He described the 11pm linear broadcast as effectively a repeat.

As an example, Klok cited last Thursday’s episode, which he said had reached 832,000 viewers after delayed viewing was included—about 500,000 more than the initial figure. He also said the episode had received 1.2 million views on YouTube.