Tina Nijkamp Ascends as Angela de Jong Steps down from TV Criticism
Amsterdam, Netherlands – Tina Nijkamp is poised to fill the void left by angela de Jong’s departure from her television criticism column at AD, with Nijkamp also set to join the popular talk show “Vandaag Inside” (VI) after the summer break. This shift marks a significant change in the Dutch media landscape, with Nijkamp’s growing influence noted by industry insiders.
Angela de Jong, a prominent figure in Dutch television commentary for many years, recently concluded her TV column with AD. While the official reason cited is a desire to broaden her scope into general commentary, the timing of her exit has drawn attention. Over the past two years,de Jong’s singular focus on television criticism has been shared with fellow critics Tina Nijkamp and Victor Vlam,potentially impacting her perceived dominance in the field.
The media spotlight has increasingly shifted towards Nijkamp and Vlam, a trend that de Jong likely recognized. Rather of a gradual decline in her influence, de Jong has opted for a strategic repositioning, moving to a general column on page two of AD. This move has been interpreted by some as either a promotion or a calculated maneuver to maintain relevance.
With de Jong’s exit, Nijkamp appears to be the natural successor. Her upcoming regular appearances on “Vandaag Inside” further solidify her position, mirroring de Jong’s previous role on the program.
Johan derksen, a key figure on “Vandaag inside,” has publicly expressed his preference for Nijkamp over de Jong. In a recent column for De Telegraaf, Derksen praised Nijkamp’s contributions, stating, “With her prosperous column, she did wake up the Telegraaf. In the meantime, Tina Nijkamp is a formidable competitor there, while she also has a understanding of television in addition to gut feelings and she has a more pleasant charisma than the snibble AD diva.” He further elaborated on Nijkamp’s suitability for television and highlighted Victor Vlam’s upcoming participation,noting his “merciless opinion that he pushes with valid arguments.”
Despite her move away from dedicated TV criticism, Derksen continues to read de Jong’s columns, acknowledging her impact. “For the AD and the readers it is indeed crucial that Angela de Jong continues to write her column. Tasty, I often read it with a smile, occasionally with horror,” he commented. He described de Jong as an “indispensable commercial pawn,” noting her ability to polarize readers, with “half of the readers walk away with her, the other half finds her terrible, but everyone reads her column.”
