EUROVISION.TV REPORTS / THE NETHERLANDS – Sietse Bakker has been reappointed as Executive Producer. Inge van de Weerd has chosen to resign as Executive Producer and return to the NOS Events department, which will have a busy year ahead.
Astrid Dutrénit, who has worked at NOS since 2003, will fill the vacant position. Dutrénit graduated from the School of Journalism in Bordeaux and the Institut Francais de Presse in Paris. In The Netherlands, she followed a Master Film & Television at the UVA in Amsterdam. As a Senior Producer, she has been production responsible for major events in recent years, including ten years for the programs around the Tour de France, the European Athletics Championships (2016) and the Sports Gala (2011 – 2018). In addition, in her work at the NOS, she has frequently collaborated with the EBU.
Emilie Sickinghe (AVROTROS) and Jessica Stam (NOS) have also been reappointed as Deputy Executive Producers.
Speaking to EUROVISION.TV, Bakker explained some things. Here are the highlights of his interview:
- Besides the hard decision, the announcement of cancelling the entire event was a hard thing to do, not only to the public but also to the team who had worked already for it.
- It was impossible to have a competition without an audience as there would have been no magic in the show.
- Holding an event like EUROVISION SHINE A LIGHT was extremely hard as the team had only 7 weeks to do so and the search for a suitable venue was almost impossible.
- No final decision whether logo and slogan and other logistics will be used in the 2021 edition, confirming the stage as the only feature in it.
- There will be several scenarios worked out to make sure there will be an audience in Rotterdam.
- He praised his collaboration all those years with outgone Executive Supervisor Mr Jon Ola Sand.
- He concluded his interview with the same phrase he used on Twitter: Eurovision 2021 will take place no matter what.