 | |
| Type | Public broadcasting |
|---|---|
| Country | Netherlands |
| Availability | Netherlands |
| Founded | 1997 byBart de Graaff, Gerard Timmer, and Frank Timmer |
| Dissolved | 1 January 2014 |
Former names | Bart's News Network(1997–1998) Brutaal News Network(1998–2002) |
Official website | bnn.nl |
| Replaced by | BNNVARA |
BNN (Dutch pronunciation:[ˌbijɛnˈɛn]), short forBart's Neverending Network (formerlyBart's News Network and laterBrutaal News Network, as a pun onCNN), was a Dutchpublic broadcastingassociation supported byNetherlands Public Broadcasting. BNN was founded in 1997 byBart de Graaff, Gerard Timmer and Frank Timmer and targetedteenagers andyoung adults. It producedentertainment andinformationtelevision programming,radio programming, andfeature films. Some of BNN's programming dealt with controversial subject matter, including most famously, ahoax reality special made to help raise awareness of the shortage oforgan donors in the Netherlands.
BNN became a public broadcasting association as a part of theNetherlands Public Broadcasting system on 15 August 1997, replacing former memberVeronica. While Dutch media in general is known to be liberal in coverage ofsexuality anddrugs, even BNN's programming has been considered controversial.[1]
Some of BNN's programs have included "Try Before You Die" – where presenters attempted to do things that they think people should do at least once in their life, made headlines when presenterSander Lantinga acted as astreaker during a quarter-finals match atWimbledon betweenMaria Sharapova andElena Dementieva.[2]
In May 2007, five years after the death of Bart de Graaff, who had suffered from kidney failure for almost all of his life, BNN announced"De Grote Donorshow"(The Big Donor Show), an initiative for promoting the filling in of a codicil fororgan donation, in which three contestants would strive to be the recipient of a kidney donated by a terminally ill woman. The show aired on 1 June; at the end of the show it was revealed to be ahoax, attempting to draw attention to the low number of organ donors in the country.[3][4]
BNN merged with theVARA on 1 January 2014 to formBNN-VARA.
