- Several employees of public radio and television in the Netherlands (NOS) have been victims of serious attacks. This is stated in the report of an inquiry committee.
- Accordingly, employees in all areas reported sexual, verbal and physical violence.
- According to the report, managers were aware of the incidents but did not react adequately.
About 2,000 of the 3,700 employees of radio and television stations in Hilversum, near Amsterdam, took part in the investigation.
75 percent of them said they were victims of or witnessed attacks between May 2022 and May 2023. Nearly 570 employees participated in a written survey of incidents prior to 2022.
Bullying, intimidation, racism
“It involves a huge number of employees, the problem is big and deserves serious attention,” said Martin van Rijn, chairman of the commission of inquiry.
The report lists many examples of bullying, intimidation, shouting, discrimination and racism. There was also physical violence.
Women in the sports industry were treated like “fair game” or “prey”. Some women who did not respond to sexual demands were bullied or no longer received orders.
Executives looked the other way
Media representatives, broadcasters and politicians reacted with shock. Dutch Broadcasting Corporation (NOS) management explained: “NOS wants to be a safe and social employer, but we have not succeeded enough in this. It hurts.”
The network's executives have come out badly with a “see nothing, hear nothing, do nothing” headline. A key sentence reads: “At all levels, managers looked the other way more.”
The reason for the wider investigation was scandals at the popular talk show and sports editorial board.
“Wannabe pop culture fanatic. Zombie advocate. Entrepreneur. Internet evangelist. Alcohol fanatic. Typical travel buff.”
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