BNN (Dutch broadcaster)

Infobox Broadcasting network
name = BNN

type = Public broadcasting
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country = NLD
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founded = 1997
founder = Bart de Graaff
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owner = NPO
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website = [http://www.bnn.nl bnn.nl]
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BNN or Bart's Neverending Network (formerly "Barts News Network", as a pun on CNN) is a Dutch public broadcasting association supported by the Netherlands Public Broadcasting. BNN was founded in 1997 by Bart de Graaff, and targets teenage and young adult audiences. It produces entertainment and informative television programs, radio programs, and feature films. Some of which were controversial when they were first aired.

History

In the early 1990s, BNN was a television show presented by Bart de Graaff, on Veronica, and stood for "Bart's News Network".

BNN was founded on August 15, 1997. Then the name BNN stood for "Brutaal News Network" (Flagrant News Network), yet after founder Bart de Graaff died from kidney failure on May 25, 2002, its meaning was changed to "Bart's Neverending Network".

BNN's first television show was aired on September 6, 1998 and since then the station has grown excessively. While Dutch media in general is known to be easy in regards to how they look at certain subjects, such as sexuality and drugs, BNN has often been talked about for its controversial ways of making television.

The most controversial shows have been "Neuken doe je zo!" (Dutch for "Fucking goes like this!"), in which 7 episodes were giving sexual information, in a language and a way that would appeal to the teenage audience. "Spuiten & Slikken" (Squirt and Swallow in Dutch) discussed both sexuality and the use of drugs. Note that in Dutch the word "spuiten" has a double meaning, it can be interpreted as "to squirt" and as "to inject". BNN's show "Try before you die", in which the presenters try things you should have done at least once in your life, achieved world fame when presenter Sander Lantinga acted as a streaker in the Wimbledon quarter finals tennis match between Maria Sharapova and Elena Dementieva.

At the end of 1997 Bart received a donor kidney and was for a time able to live a relatively normal life. In 1999 the kidney was rejected and his health deteriorated quickly. Bart De Graaff died in May 2002, 35 years old.

In May 2007, five years after the death of Bart de Graaf, who had suffered from kidney failure for almost all of his life, BNN announced the broadcast of "De Grote Donorshow" "("The Big Donor Show")", an initiative for promoting the filling in of a codicil for organ donation, in which three contestants would strive to be the recipient of a kidney donated by a terminally ill woman. However, at the end of this show, it was announced to be a hoax. According to the presenter Patrick Lodiers the purpose of the show was to draw attention to the lack of organ donors in the Netherlands.

BNN is however not only known for its controversial shows, but also for many entertaining shows, such as "Nu we er toch zijn" ("While we are here anyway"), in which presenter Eddy Zoey tests the hospitality of Dutch places; and "De Lama's" ("The Llamas"), which is a Dutch version of "Whose Line Is It Anyway?".

Also, BNN has created a few medical programmes, such as "Je zal het maar hebben" ("It could've been you") and "Over mijn lijk" ("Over my dead body"), in which youth with handicaps are consulted and talk about their handicaps. So did Bas van der Voort who lost his right leg to an osteosarcoma.

Television shows

* Costa!
* De nationale IQ test
* De Grote Donorshow
* Finals
* Get smarter in a week
* Je zal het maar hebben
* BNN presenteert AVRO's Sterrenslag
* De Lama's
* Hey DJ
* Kannibalen
* Neuken doe je zo!
* World according to BNN
* Nu we er toch zijn
* Atletico Ananas
* ONM (Onderweg Naar Morgen)
* Try before you die
* Spuiten en Slikken
* BNN University
* Cash Cab
* Top of the Pops
* Over Mijn Lijk
* Mystery Party
* de Teringtubies
* Veronica Mars
* Afkicken
* Kebab tv
* Doe maar normaal!
* Rat van fortuin
* Ranking the stars

Radio shows

* Alle 40 goed!
* BNN United
* Het Huis van de Heer
* Los!
* Lust For Life
* Muijst Wanted
* ruuddewild.nl (1999-2004)
* Storing (Radio)
* That's Live
* Weg met BNN
* Wout! (2004-2006)
* ZoëyZo
* De Coen en Sander show (2006-)

Presenters

* Astrid de Jong (2002-2003)
* Bart de Graaff (1998-2002)
* Bridget Maasland (2000-2005)
* Curt Fortin (2005-)
* Eddy Zoey (1998-2000, 2002-)
* Eric Corton (2005-)
* Edo Brunner (2006)
* Filemon Wesselink (2004-)
* Hanna Verboom (2004-2006)
* Jeroen Kijk in de Vegte (1999-2004)
* Jeroen Pauw (1998-2003)
* Katja Schuurman (2001-)
* Ramon Stoppelenburg (2005-2006)
* Kurt Rogiers (2004-2006)
* Lucien Foort (2003-)
* Martijn Muijs (2004-2006)
* Patrick Lodiers (2001-)
* Ruben Nicolai (2006-)
* Ruud de Wild (1998-2004)
* Sander de Heer (2000-)
* Sander Guis (2005-)
* Sander Lantinga (2005-)
* Sophie Hilbrand (2004-)
* Willemijn Veenhoven (2005-2006)
* Wouter van der Goes (2004-2006)
* Yolanthe Cabau van Kasbergen (2006-)
* Coen Swijnenberg (2006-)

References

External links

* [http://www.bnn.nl BNN] – official website
* [http://www.imdb.com/company/co0027367/ BNN TV] at the Internet Movie Database