Patrick Kicken: This 538 star is at the top of NPO Radio 2’s wish list to succeed Gijs Staverman

[BLOG] An earthquake went through radio land: the previously rock-solid anchor in the morning on the country’s largest NPO radio channel 2 will be exchanged for public for commercial. Gijs Staverman, now a grandfather, is going to secure his pension and ensure posterity with some extra cash for the future. This leaves two disappointed listeners and two hours of airtime that KRONCRV obviously does not want to lose. Station boss Peter de Vries, whether or not whispered by the real station boss of all NPO radio stations Jurre Bosman, had to convey the message to the broadcaster ‘that it really has to be at least as big a name’ that succeeds Staverman, otherwise another broadcasting association combination daily from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Who does that seem to be? I’ve heard something about that, yes..

Actually, we have to go back in time a year. At that time, a commercial name was already being circulated that would go to NPO Radio 2. At the time I think I wrote it down in a sub-sentence, but I thought ‘what time slot should he do then?’. But the story that Staverman would leave 2 has also been going around for a year, see the previous columns about it and Gijs’ ‘hard denial’ of the rumors. In fact, we can say that the fact that Mr. Bosman decided that Staverman had to go and a worthy successor had to be appointed. As is the case nowadays, the name is then presented to the broadcaster instead of the other way around. Do you want to keep the airtime? Then go talk to so-and-so, he seems like something to us.

At first everything was all set and done: Rob Stenders would return to De Grootste. The contract had already been signed with BNNVARA. Still, Rob got it in his head and realized that he is indebted to the Veronica brand. If he stayed there, Ekdom, van der Goes and van ‘t Hof would come too. And so it happened, contract torn up, Dennis Ruyer style. So another round, new opportunities for KRONCRV. But who, oh who, is lying so comfortably in Bosman’s offices, where, according to the latest episode of Gossip Talk, not only conversations are held, but also the oldest act in the world. Don’t keep us in suspense any longer Patrick, come up with that name, we can’t stand it anymore. Well, that name has eleven letters and is now also from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., but at 538.

Correct, Mark Labrand. According to Jurre and therefore also marble De Vries, he is the perfect successor to Staverman on NPO Radio 2. To be honest, I hear him there too. And you immediately deal a blow to two competitors: Labrand is also the station voice of Sky Radio, something he could also do perfectly for NPO 1 on TV, of which Wouter was always the voice. Let’s hope that I don’t jinx things here by announcing it like this, because NPO audio boss Bosman naturally wants to avoid any appearance that Radio 2 is commercial. But Labrand somehow manages to avoid the commercial side of things, sounds solid and not too popi jopi. So no Rabbering, no Speelman, no Van Inkel, but the 39-year-old man from Pijnacker, who also has TV ambitions so could take a quiz at KRONCRV with his freshly cut and tanned head: Labrando!

Patrick Kicken