NPO to meet staff urging Dutch withdrawal from Eurovision

The Dutch public broadcaster NPO will meet representatives of nearly 500 employees who have urged it to withdraw from the Eurovision Song Contest, after deciding that the Netherlands will take part despite the withdrawal of its usual participating broadcaster, AVROTROS. The meeting is expected in early November, while NPO board chair Jet de Ranitz is absent, Nieuws.nl reports. [1]

The employees sent a letter calling on the NPO not to participate and demanding clarity about how the decision was made. They said they were troubled that the wish to join an entertainment programme was being placed above “the countless lives of people who are being murdered”. [1]

AVROTROS, which has overseen the Netherlands’ Eurovision entry for years, said it would not take part because Israel is competing while the war in Gaza continues. The NPO decided in late September that the Netherlands would participate after all. The protesting employees want the NPO to show solidarity with AVROTROS and its position. [1]

The NPO says it plans to organise participation through an external team of experts, with member broadcasters invited to contribute. However, all the broadcasters say they have no staff involved in the plan, and the umbrella organisation representing them has also asked the NPO to explain its decision. [1]

Cornald Maas, involved in the Dutch Eurovision entry since 2004, said over the weekend that the NPO had not approached him to help. The NPO says it has been “continuing discussions with all parties” for several weeks, but has declined to answer further questions about the matter. [1]