Matthijs van Nieuwkerk’s TV career continues. Today it was announced that the presenter will get a new chance at the commercial broadcaster RTL. He has signed a four-year contract with RTL. Next year he will officially make his return to TV, after a year of absence due to an investigation into his misconduct at De Wereld Draait Door.
Matthijs van Nieuwkerk back on TV
Over the past year, presenter Matthijs van Nieuwkerk has lived in the shadows. In November 2022, he quit his previous employer BNNVARA, following articles in the Volkskrant about the culture of fear at De Wereld Draait Door. Dozens of former employees reported to De Volkskrant at the time that Matthijs regularly had extreme outbursts of anger. This subsequently caused a lot of stress, an unsafe working atmosphere and also a burnout for dozens of people. The Van Rijn Committee (Investigation Committee on Behavior and Culture of Broadcasters, OGCO) conducted an investigation into the work culture at the NPO, which also included Matthijs’ behavior. This investigation is currently ongoing. The results are not expected until the end of January 2024.
But in the meantime, Matthijs has returned to the TV world. Only this time he signs a four-year contract with RTL. He can work for the commercial broadcaster from January 2024.
New opportunity at RTL
Peter van der Vorst, Chief Content Officer of RTL, says he is “extremely happy” with the arrival of Matthijs. “Matthijs is one of the most talented TV makers in the Netherlands,” says Peter. According to the Chief Content Officer, his “eye and ear for special talents, music and developments in society” makes him a good fit for the TV broadcaster and viewers of RTL. According to Peter, Matthijs is ready for a new start. “Matthijs has gone through a period of reflection and has spoken openly and honestly about it in NRC,” he explains. “Now that those involved have been heard and the OGCO investigation is as good as complete, we believe that Matthijs can return to television in the new year.”
Matthijs himself is of course also happy that he can get back to work. “The outstretched hand of RTL was cordial and immediately very substantive,” he says. “They knew what they wanted to ask me for in the coming years and I was very happy with that.”
Since the abuses behind the scenes at The Voice of Holland, awareness in the media world has increased, including at RTL Netherlands. At the beginning of this year, they became part of the so-called Media Pact Respectful Cooperation, which the NPO and Talpa Netherlands have also joined. This pact stands for, among other things, starting a conversation, sharing dilemmas and learning from each other. Its aim is to ensure a safe working environment in the media world. In addition to this pact, Matthijs has also signed a so-called code of conduct at RTL. This states, among other things, that the broadcaster strictly prohibits ‘any form of bullying behavior or discrimination’. Immediate action will be taken if the rules are broken.
Weekly program
Matthijs will immediately be presented with plans from RTL. From Sunday evening, April 21, 2024, he can be seen on RTL4 with a weekly current affairs program full of music. In addition, there is also discussion about making new TV programs for RTL, but also for the streaming service Videoland. A new, daily program is “not excluded”, says Peter in an interview with NOS Radio 1 Journaal. “In short, from January we will start a brand new adventure together in full flight. I have missed work,” says Matthijs.
