[BLOG] Well that was the riot again this week, around 538 morning jockWietze de Jager. He says he wants to work one day less on-air against hiscolleagues, gets the whole crowd, including a lot of angry listeners, and thensays it was all just to provoke discussion. Nice piece of spin from Talpa ‘sPR department. But in the same week we are also treated to the news that themorning star of Qmusic, Marieke Elsinga, is peeping out again, just like atthe beginning of the year when it all became too much for her, this time onmaternity leave. Sure, it should happen, but I’ll give you a note that Mariekeno longer returns full-time in the morning of Q.
I understand that Marieke Elsinga says in various interviews that she is a bitsad that she now has to plead with her main employer again. She was just ascomfortable in it, she said. Well she also knows that things will never be thesame as before. A morning show without children is already hard (I can tellyou from my own experience), one with even harder than impossible, accordingto one Wietze de J. Let’s hope it doesn’t become a crybaby because then thedays of Marieke’s radio career are completely numbered . Incidentally, I alsoknow women (from the past) who were just away for a week to let their baby outand then just showed up again on Monday, but well, that was from a time beforethe snowflake generation.
They may say at Qmusic that they are not looking for a replacement for theabsence of their superstar in the morning, insiders know better. The scenariois already being taken into account that Marieke Elsinga can be heard on thechannel for no more than three days a week after her birth (Monday, Wednesday,Friday). Your radio heart is going to bleed from such sadness. Just likeWietze’s lack of motivation, which is now firmly denied, it is clear what thecurrent generation of radio makers has with the medium: nice while it lasts,but if something better/easier/nicer comes along, I’m gone.
In both the case of Wietze and Marieke, they both naturally aimed at thatother, much more eye-catching medium: television. And of course that all-important family, with young children. That’s fine if you want that, but letus know before your radio station invests so much in you. I therefore suggestthat Marieke Elsinga and Wietze de Jager just start a petting zoo together.They can romp around all day long with the offspring. Leave the radiobroadcasting to people who are really passionate about it. Because such amorning show, that’s your baby. You are busy all day long, five days a weekand you need the weekends to recharge or to feed yourself with the latestfilms and series that your audience is also watching.
As I said at RTL Boulevard: you can only win that match in the morning if youput in the full 100%. You are the leading personality for your radio station.This applies to both Wietze and Marieke. Do you think they would have taken itwith the Spice Girls record company if one of them suddenly got pregnant? Evenat castings for important series and films, you will be immediately rejectedif it turns out that you are pregnant or are planning to do so in the shortterm. The bad thing is, of course, that it doesn’t end at all after Marieke’spregnancy, that’s when it starts: the broken nights, the hospital visits, allthe hassle that a young child entails. And Wietze has three of those.
Incidentally, it would be interesting to find out the exact salary of DeJager; if, for example, that’s only a ton a year, then I can understand whyhe’s so committed to his parental leave. Then just give him the amount that amorning jock should earn at a national station: at least double that. Well,then he has to prove he’s worth it.