The British and the Germans have better television

A debate has flared up in the Netherlands about the huge salaries paid at the country's public broadcasting organisation, the studios of which are based in the small Dutch town of Hilversum. The daily compares the station's programme with that of the UK and Germany. "For years the Hilversum diet has consisted mainly of soap operas, reality shows, talk shows, church services, game shows and sport - topped up with the odd news programme and documentary. ... The Germans and the Brits do a better job. That the public broadcasters there provide fantastic reportages and documentaries all week long cannot just be a matter of money. ... Each time I watch these programmes I grow a bit more ashamed of Hilversum's laziness and limited horizons. The top salaries paid there stand in sharp contrast to the shallow viewer ratings-oriented television schedule it often provides."

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