The Best Me Deal

A series reboot rarely comes close to the original. At best, such a newversion of an old hit is pleasantly familiar but not innovative. At worst,it’s a reheated leftover that relies mainly on the nostalgia sauce poured overit. Sauce that turns out to be a bit stale after a few bites.

It is therefore striking that Heartbreak High , the Netflix reboot of the1990s Australian hit series of the same name, feels as fresh and contemporaryas the original did nearly thirty years ago. Mainly because writer andshowrunner Hannah Carroll Chapman — a big fan of the original — decided earlyon in the making that she didn’t want to make a reboot for the longtime fans.Instead, she wanted to give the current generation of teenagers what they hadwhen they were their age: their own Heartbreak High.

So the idea of ​​inviting a different actor from the original to guest starfor each episode was scrapped, and we looked at what the teen series could bein the future. nineties so special to many viewers: an unusually diversecast, a much more raw depiction of a high school than was the norm ontelevision until then, lots of Australian subcultures and slang (the words’rack off’ came up several times in each episode) and a few attractiveprotagonists.

In terms of diversity it does Heartbreak High of 2022 not inferior to theoriginal. The new series only feels a lot less raw, although this is mainlydue to the glossy filter that now seems standard for Netflix series and makesthe whole happy and light, no matter how serious the subjects are sometimes.

Sexuality and gender

Where the students of Hartley High in the 1990s mainly encountered classdifferences, in 2022 the focus will be more on sexuality and gender. Astrikingly large proportion of the characters will describe themselves asqueer, and several of the main characters are non-binary. Something that theyoungsters do not find more than normal among themselves, only the parents nowand then have some difficulty with the chosen pronouns.

Much of the drama in the first season revolves around the discovery ofsomething the students have dubbed an “incest card,” a huge mural in anabandoned school stairwell detailing which students have engaged with eachother and which sexual acts. they performed (these are shockingly many, allwith the most bizarre names). The discovery of the map will force all studentson the wall to attend the hastily-created “sexual literacy tutorials” twice aweek — a class that the teens quickly turn to SLTs (pronounced ‘ sluts’) isrenamed.

Because the focus is so clearly on sexual development, the new Heartbreak Highcannot escape comparisons with other (teenage) series of the moment -especially the hit series Sex Education and Euphoria which indeed itresembles a lot (although it is not nearly as dark as that last title). That’snot a bad thing in this case. Heartbreak High bursting with charactersyou’ll instantly love, and storylines that keep you hooked episode afterepisode. Exactly what a good teen series should do.

Traditional viewing figures that suddenly lose their appeal, barely programsthat reach a million viewers and a sharp increase in postponed viewing. Thestart of the new television season is causing chaos in the viewing figures.

Pieter DumonSeptember 21, 202206:00

It was a bit of a shock at the Medialaan when the viewing figures fell intothe mailbox on Tuesday 6 September. The night before they had officiallykicked off the new television season at VTM, with viewing figures hit Blindlymarried as the absolute focal point. The program was given a makeover andseemed poised to become one of the mainstays of the channel, just like inprevious years. But the viewers apparently thought otherwise. The firstepisode of the TV version of Tinder could only captivate 393,000 viewers. Bycomparison, the first episode of the previous season was still good for morethan 800,000 viewers.

A one-time miscalculation, you may think. With a program that, without thebroadcasters even noticing, has passed its expiration date. But also in thedays that follow, the bizarre viewing figures continue to roll in. The firstepisode of Pascale . ‘s Scale _for example, which the channel had highexpectations of, it has to do with 180,000 viewers. _Dear viewers remains at210,000 viewers and Lego Masters , which is already due for the secondepisode on Saturday September 10, can only tempt 170,000 viewers. It is alwayspossible that a new program such as Pascale Naessens’s does not catch on. Butthat just about every title sees its viewers halve is unprecedented.

It is not only at VTM that people look at the figures with increasingastonishment. At SBS, the company above the Play channels, they will bethrowing this fall The smartest person in the world in battle. The firstepisode – on Monday 5 September – does a lot better than competitor with732,000 viewers Blindly married , the program remains well below last year’slevel. Then the first episode was good for just over a million viewers. Thefirst episode of the Sunday evening program Manhunt was good for 262,000live viewers. Just under a year ago, there were 474,000 before the kick-off ofthe first season.

At the VRT, the damage still appears to be minor. With the fiction series_Chantal_ the public broadcaster has the only program that can charm more thana million viewers live in the ranks. However, the figures on Reyerslaan arealso lower than normal. The daily soap Home for example, which in normaltimes very regularly reaches the milestone of 1 million live viewers, has notyet succeeded in doing so this autumn. Also crowd puller Down the Road lastseason good for an average of 1,604,000 viewers, reached the million in recentweeks * live viewers * not.

The first episode of ‘I Can See Your Voice’ had to make do with 382,000 liveviewers.Image DPG Media

World Cup football

The search for an explanation for the bizarre figures leads strangely enoughto the World Cup. An event that will only be launched on November 20, butalready has an influence on the viewing figures of the past few weeks. That’show it is. Normally such a World Cup is played in the summer, at a time whentelevision channels invest less in their broadcasting schedules anyway. Afterall, not only are fewer people in front of the television, advertisers also donot roll out major campaigns during the summer months. The fact that thechannel that is allowed to broadcast the World Cup attracts the majority ofviewers during that limited television period is therefore no problem for theassembled competition.

Now that’s something different. November and December are important televisionmonths in which channels traditionally show off their large viewing figures.But they are in danger of being blown away this year by the football violence.So the broadcasters started puzzling. At Play4, this led to the decision to_The smartest person in the world_ to drop into the schedule at the beginningof September. A lot earlier than in previous years, when the program only cameon the screen in mid-October. In this way, the winner is already known themoment the World Cup erupts.

Because the other channels also use the same logic, there is an oversupply.Monday evening is the best example of this. “There you have with thesmartest man , Blindly married and Down the Road three programs withthe potential to reach the million mark”, says Lotte Vermeir, network managerof One and Canvas. “The result is an enormous fragmentation of the audienceand figures for each of those programs are lower than we are used to.” AnnickBongers, program director at the Play channels sees another effect. “Theprograms that do survive are all great titles. Only so-called must-seetelevision remains. Smaller programs are irrevocably excluded.”

This oversupply also encourages delayed viewing. A phenomenon that has neverbeen completely gone this fall. “Delayed viewing has of course been on therise for some time,” says Maarten Janssen, channel manager at the VTMchannels. “But corona has put that growth on hold for two years.” The globalpandemic and the accompanying lockdowns gave traditional television viewing amajor boost: because there was hardly anything else to do, people sat quietlyin front of the TV at night. Now that that is gone, viewers seem to beconsuming their favorite programs more than ever before.

Down the Road.Image © VRT

The numbers say it all. The most watched episode of Down the Road forexample, it accounted for 967,000 viewers. Those are people who either watchedthe program live, or caught up with it at a later time that same evening. Ifyou look at the numbers for that same episode seven days later, you come up* 1,257,000 viewers out. 290,000 *** Dieter Coppens fans watched hisprogram therefore postponed. The same calculation exercise also does thenumbers of Blindly married revive. The 393,000 viewers who were in theviewing figures after the first episode have now become 660,000. If you alsoadd the viewers who watched the program via the online platform VTM GO, youarrive at 717,000 viewers. And then there’s The smartest person. Although noepisode has more than 1 million viewers live, the program is now tapping anaverage of 1,090,000 viewers per episode.

Climate change

And we haven’t even talked about the weather yet. Climate change also affectsthe traditional channels at the start of the television season, as it turnsout. “The weather has been very good for a long time,” says Janssen. “Thenpeople are simply less inclined to sit in front of the TV in the evening.” Ifyou then – as this year – immediately throw in almost all major titles at thebeginning of September, it is logical that the figures they achieve are lower.But with autumn finally approaching, that problem will solve itself, Janssenthinks. “You can already notice that in the viewing volumes. The first episodeof I Can See Your Voice for example, it had to make do with 382,000 liveviewers. Last Friday there were already 575,000.”

According to the Center for Information on the Media (CIM), it is not only thelong, warm summer that is playing tricks on the channels. “It is a challengefor broadcasters every year to reconnect with their viewership after thesummer,” says Sofie Rutgeerts. “With a growing range of channels and streamingservices, that challenge is only getting bigger.”

‘The smartest person in the world’.Image SBS

They don’t seem to worry much about the erratic viewing figures at thosechannels. Just about everyone points out that when you take the delayedviewing into account, the figures are in line with expectations. “We are alsodoing well in terms of market share,” adds Janssen. “We are currently at 26percent for this autumn, which is barely a fraction less than last year.” Thisdoes not mean that there is overall satisfaction with the live figures. Allbroadcasters would like to see a boost. “You want to have the program in yourschedule that will be talked about the next day,” says Janssen. “A title like_The Masked Singer_ for example, only works because Flanders looks at it enmasse at the same time and helps to guess the identity of the singers. Spreadthose viewers out over a whole week and the effect of such a program is muchless.”

Commercial break

Their market model will also not be under pressure due to the lower livefigures, according to the commercial channels. After all, with delayedviewing, it is impossible to fast-forward through commercial breaks, whichensures that – unlike in the past – those viewers also get to see thecommercial breaks. “For those who watch programs on the TV screen in a delayedmanner, there is indeed no problem anymore,” confirms Bernard Cools, chiefintelligence officer at media agency Space, which sells advertising space.

“But when those viewers make the switch to online platforms such as VTM GO,VRT Max or Go Play, it becomes a different story. Viewers will also seeadvertising there, but the measurement methods online are completely differentfrom those for television, making it very difficult for advertisers to knowexactly how many people they have reached with their campaign.” Moreover, theFlemish commercial channels have to deal with international competitorsonline. Cools: “You come up against a platform like YouTube. And streamingservices such as Netflix or Disney+ are also working on an advertising model.That will only make it more difficult.”

Luc Suykens, CEO of the Union of Belgian Advertisers (UBA), sees anotherproblem. “Advertisers aim for reach, they want as many people as possible tosee their commercials. Television is the ideal medium for this. It offers alarge range at a relatively low cost. But when there are fewer people in frontof the screen, that model comes under pressure.” Simply put, with a programwith a million viewers you only need one spot to reach them all. If only250,000 viewers are watching, you need four spots for that same reach. Onlythe advertising space is limited. “That ensures that the price for those spotsskyrockets,” says Suykens. “Certainly in times of economic crisis, this canlead to advertisers looking for alternatives.”

It won’t get that far, if we are to believe broadcasters. “Due to acombination of circumstances, we are now seeing exceptional figures,” saysVermeir. “But this is not the new normal. In December and January, when thedays are shorter and darker, there will be more people watching anyway.”Janssen is also convinced of this. “Due to the shifts in broadcastingschedules and the large supply, people don’t know what to watch first. Butthis is certainly not how we will watch TV from now on. Soon the viewer willfind his way back to those pleasant moments together in front of the TV.”

Boos and demonstrators who raise their middle fingers and shout “traitor”towards King Willem-Alexander, Queen Máxima and Princess Amalia. Thedemonstration at the driving tour and the balcony scene was unique forPrinsjesdag, but given the polarization in society not a surprise to everyone.

The inverted Dutch flags and the booing towards the Glass Coach were not to bemissed. “There is clearly less cheering than in previous years,” said HansJacobs, royal journalist – with a sense of understatement – in the broadcaston NPO 1. After the tour, the police reported that five demonstrators had beenarrested, including for insulting. Six tractors have been seized.

orange party

“Let’s not forget that it is very unusual to demonstrate on Prinsjesdag”, saysJacquelien van Stekelenburg, professor of social change and conflict at VUUniversity Amsterdam. “In general, this is precisely a day when the Orangistsgo out on the street. It is really an Orange party.”

Still, she is not surprised by the protest. “The relationship between certaingroups and the government is so tense that it is not surprising that they alsomake their voices heard on Prinsjesdag. This day is a symbol for governmentpolicy.”

Spectators of the tour react to the protest in varying ways:

Demonstrations during Prinsjesdag driving tour: ‘Is their right, but a pity’

Van Stekelenburg points out that there were also large-scale protests atanother event in which the main characters were mainly applauded until then:”We also saw this arise during the arrival of Sinterklaas.”

Much of the anger related to the cabinet’s nitrogen plans, which is notsurprising to the professor. “Because the farmers also experience thispolarization with The Hague very much. They had also driven tractors to TheHague several times. The fact that they did that again today does not surpriseme.”

traitor

Prime Minister Rutte calls “ridiculous” that some protesters called “traitor”to the king. He said it was understandable for people to express their anger:”But I’m not going to justify that people call the king a traitor.”

By the way, according to him, most of the protests were orderly:

Rutte thinks calling from ‘traitor’ to king is ridiculous

According to Jacquelien van Stekelenburg, the fact that the demonstrators seemto be aiming directly at Willem-Alexander with raised middle finger andcalling “traitors” does not automatically mean that they are against the king.”I think they see him more as representing the politicians they’re so mad at.”

While driving past the Glass Carriage, some of the protesters continued tochant: “Revolution! Revolution!” That too is often not meant literally, saysthe professor.

“We have done a lot of research in the past on groups of protesters. Ingeneral, only a small part actually want a revolution. Most strive for changeswithin the system and within the boundaries of the rule of law.”

The protest was among others at the Council of State, where Princess Beatrixwatched the tour:

Boos and inverted flags during driving tour

The cheering and whistling made it a lot more restless for the horses pullingthe carriages and carriages than on a usual Prinsjesdag. The fact that theycontinued fairly undisturbed is partly due to their training. As early as May,they practiced with a brass band that started to play louder, says royal housejournalist Hans Jacobs. “That training has been extra necessary this year.”

Even people who have never been there have an image of the Bijlmer. Usuallynegative. From the images on TV they know the walls of high gallery flats,gatherings of black people around fires in oil barrels, crime, drugs, homelesspeople, illegal immigrants, poverty. A no-go area. Gray, gray, hopeless.

That is not true: often these images are exotics, or borrowed from Americanfilms about black ghettos.

What does the Bijlmer (‘Zuidoost’ officially, ‘Bims’ for intimates) look likein films and series? Shortly after the Bijlmermeer was completed, she alreadyappeared in a feature film, Blue Movie. This erotic sketch of sex from 1972,in which a released sex offender goes to bed with half the flat, is still 5 inthe list of best-attended Dutch films, with 2.3 million visitors. Director WimVerstappen wanted to show the new times of sexual freedom, and where better todo that than in the new gallery flats of the Bijlmer? The entire neighborhoodwas designed as an experimental new form of living. Striking: cameraman Jan deBont does not film the flats gray and desolate, as was customary later, butbathed in golden brown evening twilight. And even more striking: everyone inthe sex flat is white.

That would soon change. Later in the seventies, many Surinamese migrants cameto live who were not welcome elsewhere in the city. The district now has morethan a hundred cultures. From then on, the Bijlmer was almost always portrayedas a ghetto, with crime and impoverishment. Sometimes the neighborhood wasportrayed very positively, especially in documentaries, with a lot ofattention for colorful dresses, lively parties and church services, hip-hop.But here too, filmmakers rarely got past the clichés.

Bijlmer safari

A constant point of departure for films and series about the neighborhood isthe ‘Bijlmersafari’: a usually white outsider discovers the neighborhood as awonderful, exotic place. You can see that in Only decent people , aromantic-racist comedy from 2012 about a Jewish boy from Old South who likesblack women because he thinks they are more primitive than white ones, withbigger buttocks, and therefore better at sex. In the Bijlmer he finds theliveliness, the wild parties and the sexual freedom that he lacks in his ownenvironment.

The new series will be released at the Dutch Film Festival in Utrecht_disaster flight_ premiere. About the Bijlmer disaster of 1992, when an El-Alcargo plane crashed into two flats. There you will also find a clichéd fish-from-bowl motif. Although the series partly revolves around a Bijlmerresident, the other two leading roles are white journalists who search forconspiracies and cover ups and in the meantime discover the Bijlmer as a placewhere different rules apply.

Also read a interview with screenwriter Michael Leendertse and actress JoyDelima about ‘Disaster flight’

That not all viewers can appreciate the exotic safari view of the Bijlmer anylonger, was apparent from the fuss around The Tattas , a comedy in thepipeline for December. Even before a meter had been shot, the makers werecriticized for the basic principle: a rich white family from the Gooi goesbankrupt and is forced to live in the black Bijlmer, with all the culturalclashes that entails. A kind of reverse bag. Under pressure from thecritics, the makers have decided to set the film in a fictional place.

Gangland and basement box

To combat the stigma of the Bijlmer as a ghetto and to show the wealth of theneighborhood, the duo Karim Khamis and George Adegite released the reportseries last year Bims in the Lobby (VPRO). Khamis: „The image of the Bijlmeris super-stigmatising, almost always sensation, gangland, sex in the basementboxes. You also see this in hip-hop videos, often by rappers who do not livein the Bijlmer themselves. Everyone who grows up there suffers from it. Youstart to believe that you are less than other people and that the normal path– education, work, family – is not for you.”

Khamis has a much more positive view of the neighborhood: “It’s a mix, warm,human, lots of community spirit. You see that much less in other citydistricts.” He also sees the Bijlmer as an untouched treasure trove of filmtalent: „The Denzel Washingtons, Halle Berry’s and Spike Lees come from here.It is precisely here in the Bijlmer that there are stories and people thatwill appeal to a large audience.”

____As an example, Khamis . mentions Into nothing , a gripping short filmfrom 2013 about the Bijlmer disaster, about a twelve-year-old Ghanaian girlwho befriends a grumpy, traumatized man (Issaka Sawadogo) – until the crashingplane separates them. A monument to the anonymous, undocumented victims of thedisaster flight.

Horror film will also go to the Dutch Film Festival NFF _Black Girl Magic_premiere. Two Surinamese-Dutch girlfriends use winti rituals to hook ahandsome footballer, but in doing so summon dark forces. The Bijlmer is indeedthe setting of black magic here, but the living environment is self-evidentand is not an exotic terra incognita for the white explorer.

A whole week completely devoted to Dutch film productions: the Dutch FilmFestival starts tonight in Utrecht. We celebrate what the Netherlands has tooffer in the field of film with premieres, masterclasses and, finally, thepresentation of the Golden Calves. But a Dutch film that wins an internationalprize or a top ten full of Dutch films still seems a long way off.

By Esther Villerius

Even before the film was officially released in theaters, Soof 3 already100,000 visitors. And Everything on the table by Linda de Mol scored nolower than three stars last year.

Dutch films can therefore score well, but there is no question of dominance inart houses and cinemas. In recent years, often no more than two homegrownproductions were in the top ten of the most viewed films in the Netherlands.In 2019, the year in which cinemas did not yet suffer from corona, not even asingle Dutch film was in the top ten.

And when we go, we often go to the more famous titles, such as the Bon Binic_movies and _The Battle of the Scheldt. The Netherlands Film Festival (NFF) isnot just about those big blockbusters. Because the small filmmaker deservesmore visitors, according to the organizers. The festival therefore tries toemphasize the variety of Dutch films, says NFF director Silvia van der Heidenin conversation with NU.nl.

Done with rom-coms

According to freelance film journalist Ab Zagt, the Dutch film does not exist,because we make everything. Yet there is clearly a preference amongcinemagoers, and therefore among makers. “A rom-com is the most typical. Thatgenre has not been so popular in other countries for a long time. Hollywood isdone with it – and so am I.” But in the Netherlands, romantic comedies havemade up the bulk of the offer for four years now, says Van der Heiden.

Zagt argues that the Dutch film industry is more driven by commerce than bydepth. “In the Netherlands there are just a lot of women who drag theirboyfriend to such a film.”

Zie ookAl 24 jaar geen Nederlandse Oscarwinnaar: hoe gaan we weer eens winnen?

24 years without an Oscar

Despite the commercial successes, Dutch films have not won major awards atinternational film festivals for years. The NFF also hardly attracts foreignjournalists, says Zagt. “We’re doing something wrong.”

“We can no longer rely on a Paul Verhoeven, because his last two films wereFrench. Alex van Warmerdam is past his peak. Dick Maas has been Prey didn’tget to work anymore.” And Will Koopman, the director of, among other things,Gooische Women , who was honored this year with a Golden Calf for Filmculture? “That Golden Calf was justified, but internationally they arenothing.”

Successes outside the Netherlands cannot be achieved with a beautiful filmalone. It also requires a lot of promotion. It has been 24 years since theNetherlands won an Oscar; a nomination was last made in 2003 ( The Twins ).And a Golden Palm has never gone to a Dutch filmmaker. Zagt: “The chance thatthe Netherlands will still go home with a Golden Palm is about as great asthat Feyenoord wins the Champions League.”

A pity, says Van der Heiden, because according to her, our country has so muchto offer on the canvas. Whether it is nevertheless going well with the Dutchfilm? “It can always be better. So please also take a look at the Dutch Oscarentry narcosis the tragedy femi or our opening film Sea of ​​time. Thatshows how Dutch film can also be.”

The most frequently asked press question to Buckingham Palace at the moment iswhether and what King Charles will do about the Problem Andrew. In this caseit is not about the scandal that cost him his position, but about an oldposition that he still has.

Anne and Andrew in 1971

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In 2011, pending the birth of the first child of Prince William and his wifeCatherine, Queen Elizabeth arranged for boys to be no longer preferred togirls in the line of succession to the throne. That was good news for PrincessCharlotte and bad news for Princess Anne, who may be the second oldest in theQueen’s family, but for whom that rule doesn’t apply retroactively. Andrewgoes in the hierarchy for her.

George VI and his wife Elizabeth (the Queen’s mother) in 1948

And there it is, in view of the new king’s ‘counsellors of state’. This clubwas founded in 1937 by George VI; these include people who can performofficial duties of the king if he is unable to do so himself for a short time(for example because he is ill or is temporarily unable to do it himself).

William, Charles and Harry in 2014, when the contacts were still cordial

There are five of them, and among them are automatically the legal consort ofthe monarch and the first four in the line of succession to the throne who areover 21. In the case of Charles III, that means his wife Camilla, PrinceWilliam, Prince Harry, Prince Andrew and Prince Beatrice.

This automatic appointment creates commotion and concerned looks, becauseBeatrice, Harry and Andrew are not ‘working royals’ and do not belong to theRoyal Family. Critics would rather see the trio replaced by Princess Anne,Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, all of whom haveworked tirelessly for the Crown for years.

This requires a change in the law and as swiftly as Charles appointed hiseldest son William as the new Prince of Wales, he lingers with this decision(and also with the passing of the Duke of Edinburg title to his youngestbrother Edward, but this aside).

Now it would mainly be a matter for the stage, because a Counselor of State israrely called upon. If so, they can, for example, attend the opening of theParliamentary year, attend Privy Counsel meetings, sign documents on behalf ofthe monarch and receive new ambassadors.

They cannot do anything about Commonwealth affairs, appoint a prime minister,hand out titles or send parliament home without the approval of the head ofstate.

So, limited power. But Anne and the Wessex seem more suitable for the rolethan Beatrice (no experience), Harry (already expressed his distaste for theroyal family exuberantly, no longer lives in England) and Andrew (certainlynot of impeccable behavior).

No one disputes the latter’s right (never convicted, no criminal record) to bepart of his mother’s grieving process, but the fact that he went around inuniform again, in what appeared to be rehabilitation, worries critics: nobodygets very excited about the idea that the prince would replace his olderbrother in an emergency.

Rest assured that Charles III will have to make a decision about this soon,when the mourning period for his mother is over tomorrow.

Photos (c) Getty Images

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Despite the enormous housing shortage, the production of new-build homes isfaltering. Developers are increasingly delaying projects or even pulling theplug on a job altogether.

That concludes the industry association of developers WoningBouwersNL in a newhalf-yearly report. The association relies on a survey by real estate advisorCapital Value, which shows that builders are currently making adjustments,delaying or even canceling projects for 25,000 planned new-build homes.Sometimes this also concerns projects for which the permits have already beenissued. As an indication: in recent years about 70,000 new homes have beenbuilt every year.

The postponement or cancellation has various reasons. First of all, there isthe mortgage interest rate increase, which is almost 4 percent again. Thismakes homes less attractive to investors. Of course, the borrowing capacity ofbuyers is also decreasing. And it’s not just about starters, because those whomove up have a lot less interest advantage when they move. In any case, thisgroup often thinks twice, for fear that prices will fall and the new home willbe flooded.

There is also inflation with the rapidly declining purchasing power and thesharply increased prices for materials that developers encounter.

Difficult position

“This puts home builders in a precarious position: they have to design cheaperhomes for a less wealthy market, while their costs and uncertainties increasesharply,” the report said. According to The Hague’s policy, the builders mustalso build the lion’s share – two thirds – affordably.

This does not always work, with the result: developers wait for better timesand postpone their projects. In the first half of this year, the number ofbuilding permits issued fell by 18 percent compared to a year earlier. At thebottom of the line, new-build homes are becoming unreachable for many buyers,concludes WoningBouwersNL. “This is a disaster for home seekers, because thescarcity will only increase in this way.”

“Many people simply cannot or do not want to pay for a new-build home anymore,construction is no longer in line with the market”, responds housing marketprofessor Peter Boelhouwer (TU Delft).

Sales of new-build homes are falling. © WoningBuildersNL

The number of new-build homes sold has therefore also fallen in recent months,according to the trade association. In the first half of 2021, 19,520 newhomes were sold. In the first half of 2022, it was 16,946 – a decrease of 13percent. Buyers are more likely to reconsider the purchase if, after aninterest rate increase, it appears that they are unable to secure financing.

It is not only buyers who have less and less insight into a new-build home.Aedes, an interest group for housing corporations, recently concluded thatthere is not enough building land available for social housing. According toAedes, the land that is there cannot be paid for.

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The fact that the marriage of the TV channels TF1 and M6 will not take placeis a line through the account of the owners Bouygues and RTL. But the decisionalso echoes in the Netherlands, where a similar merger is under scrutiny.Indirectly, Belgian interests are also at stake.

The biggest media marriage in French corporate history has come to naught. OnFriday, the broadcasting groups M6 and TF1 announced that their merger plansare being withdrawn. The owners RTL and Bouygues wanted to merge their Frenchtelevision subsidiaries to create a television giant that could take a standagainst streaming competitors such as Netflix, Amazon and Disney.

But the TV giant stood on clay feet from the start. Together, the two Frenchchannels would control three quarters of the French television advertisingmarket. A figure that smells like a monopoly, and which the French competitionwatchdog put a stop to.

”

To get the merger of M6 and TF1 approved, one of the flagship transmitters hadto be divested. “

The French Autorité de la Concurrence allowed the merger to take place only ifone of the two flagships – TF1 or M6 – were to be divested. As a result, therationale behind the merger expired, as a result of which Bouygues and RTL arenow canceling them.

Parallels

The process was also closely monitored in the Netherlands. At about the sametime as the French TV merger, a similar TV deal was launched with our northernneighbors. Above the Moerdijk, RTL and Talpa (again) fell into each other’sarms. There too, that could create a local giant, with a market share intelevision advertising of more than 70 percent.

RTL does not want to draw too heavy parallels. “It is a different matter and adifferent supervisor,” a spokesperson told the Dutch newspaper Het FinancieeleDagblad. For this, the company refers, among other things, to the strongerposition of the public broadcaster in the market for TV advertising in theNetherlands, compared to France.

But media experts mainly see similarities. Like their colleagues in France,RTL and Talpa in the Netherlands argue that their dominance in the TV marketshould be seen in a more modern context, where classic television and onlineviewing are increasingly intertwined.

If you approach the market in this way, you can argue that the merger does notcreate a single dominant player, but that a strong local player is better ableto defend itself against the emerging multinational violence of the mostlyAmerican streamers.

”

If the Dutch regulator blocks the merger of Talpa and RTL, there may be asecond chance for DPG Media. “

That reasoning was therefore not followed in France, and the TV market isstill considered there on its own. This line was also followed in previousfiles in other European countries. It seems unlikely that the competitionauthority in the Netherlands will now change that reasoning.

smiling third

What the Dutch supervisor decides in the future will also be followed closelyin Belgium. Before the merger of RTL and Talpa was announced, DPG Media wasalso interested in acquiring the Dutch RTL channels. Christian Van Thillo’sgroup is already fully active in print – with de Volkskrant, AD and Trouwamong others – and on the radio – with Qmusic. TV is still a blind spot forDPG.

Should the Dutch competition watchdog oblige the potential merger group todivest large chunks or block the merger completely, DPG can present itself asa smiling third party. Suppose that RTL still wants to get rid of its Dutchactivities. Who knows, Van Thillo will get a second chance.

Belgian profession

In Belgium, the takeover of the Walloon RTL Belgium by the media groups DPGMedia and Rossel was approved at the beginning of this year subject toconditions. But here too the takeover of an RTL subsidiary – price tag: 215million euros – is still under scrutiny. In June, the media group IPM and theadvertising agency Ads & Data lodged an appeal against the decision of theBelgian Competition Authority (BMA).

IPM chief executive François le Hodey then said in parliament that he foundthe BMA’s decision “very lazy” and that “key points were not analysed”. Thefirst hearing in that appeal will take place in December. However, the appealdoes not suspend the decision of the BMA.

Maren Morris has no regrets about calling out Jason and Brittany Aldean onsocial media — but that doesn’t mean she wants to sit next to them at anawards show.

Morris, 32, spoke to the Los Angeles Times about her online feud with theconservative couple over transphobic comments they made, and how it fits intoa bigger picture of what country music stands for right now. Morris said she’sundecided whether she’ll attend the Country Music Awards on Nov. 9 where_Humble Ques_ t was nominated for Album of the Year.

“I’m very honored that my record is nominated. But I don’t know if I feel [at]home there right now. So many people I love will be in that room, and maybeI’ll make a game-time decision and go. But as of right now, I don’t feelcomfortable going,” Morris explained, adding, “I kind of feel peaceful at thenotion of not going.”

Morris and singer Cassadee Pope sparred with Brittany after an Aug. 23 postthat read: “I’d really like to thank my parents for not changing my genderwhen I went through my tomboy phase. I love this girly life.” (Jason commentedon the post, “Lmao!! Im glad they didn’t too, cause you and I wouldn’t haveworked out.”)

“The Bones” singer told the times she didn’t run the message by anyonebefore hitting send.

“I just shot it off. I hate feeling like I need to be the hall monitor oftreating people like human beings in country music. It’s exhausting,” Morrisshared. “But there’s a very insidious culture of people feeling verycomfortable being transphobic and homophobic and racist, and that they canwrap it in a joke and no one will ever call them out for it. It just becomesnormal for people to behave like that. “

Related video: Maren Morris and Cassadee Pope call out Brittany Aldean overcontroversial post

The fact Morris dubbed Brittany “Insurrection Barbie” lit up social media, anickname the singer stands behind.

Story continues

“Well, it’s kind of true, because the whole conspiracy theory peddling of Jan.6, they totally partook in that,” Morris said of the Aldeans. “Look, I’m not avictim in this and neither is she. But I don’t have feelings of kindness whenit comes to humans being made fun of for questioning their identity,especially kids. The whole ‘When they go low, we go high’ thing doesn’t workwith these people. Any resistance movement is not done with kind words. Andthere’s a lot worse things I could’ve called her.”

Morris, who shares a 2-year-old son with husband Ryan Hurd, said she felt theneed to reply to Brittany due to “the culture of misinformation that goesalong with trans youth.”

“This whole thing got so ugly so fast because the worst they can say to me is,’Oh, you must be a groomer then.’ That’s literally their favorite word. I havea son, and I think we’re all — especially all parents — we’re just trying todo our best and take care of our kids and make sure they’re happy,” Morriscontinued. “You don’t know if one day they’re gonna come home in tears becausethey don’t feel right in their body. And it’s just so sty for the parentsthat are going through that right now to make a joke out of it. Suicide ratesare so high because of hateful bulls like that. I don’t care if it’s ajoke. But they don’t want to talk about that part because it’s too real.”

Morris doesn’t believe she lost any fans over the Ordeal. (Hey, those TuckerCarlson inspired shirts have raised more than $150,000 for Trans Lifeline andGLAAD’s Transgender Media Program.)

“I’ve been very clear from the get-go. It sucks when artists stay quiet, stayquiet, stay quiet, and then they finally reach their breaking point and haveto say something because something is so unjust or disgusting. And then theylose half their crowd because they stayed quiet. I try to tell my husbandthis, because he’s still building: Let people know where you stand,” Morrisshared. “The ones who don’t get it will fall away, but the ones that stickwith you will know what they’re contributing to.”

Jason, who previously wouldn’t talk politics for years, threw that rule outthe window. He’s a vocal critic of President Joe Biden. Morris said that’s”his prerogative.”

“And he probably knows, ‘OK, I’m gonna lose my liberal fans,’ if he had any.But the ones that stay I’m sure feel extremely close to him through all this,”Morris noted. “And that’s when I kind of have to take a step back and be like,What am I actually doing? Is it self-serving? Is it performative? All thethings a neurotic will think through. But I sleep pretty good at night knowingthat people feel safer in my crowd.”

Morris said friends who aren’t in country music ask her, “What the hell isgoing on in Nashville right now with these people?”

“I’m always like, ‘It’s fewer than you think.’ Sometimes I feel like I’m inthis abusive relationship and I keep defending it: ‘It’s not all bad!’ Butsometimes you have to call it out for what it is,” she said.

“I think there are people in country music that want it to be niche. Theydon’t want it to expand. They don’t care about it becoming more inclusive.It’s theirs, and everyone else is an other, or woke, or whatever,” Morriscontinued. “That’s sad to me, because I feel like country music at its core ispeople’s real stories. And to think there’s only one kind of person that getsto live them out and celebrate them is not why I’ve chosen to live there ormake music within those walls.”

Brandi Carlile recently told Morris how it feels like “there are two countrymusics.”

“I don’t know, it should have been heartbreaking to hear that. But I wasactually really relieved and encouraged to hear it. It made me feel like, OK,country music on this mainstream level absolutely could be two things, and I’ve been trying to make it one, and maybe I should stop,” she said. “I don’tknow if Brandi meant it to be a positive, but I took it as one. It was like apressure release.”

In ‘Four Hands on One Belly’ tonight you can see the story of Nica. 19-year-old Nica is expecting her first child and is almost alone: ​​the father of thechild does not want to know anything about it and she no longer has contactwith her mother. Singer Tabitha (30) may assist her, but will she succeed inbreaking down Nica’s wall?

“I’ve seen women give birth in taxis in Africa, so if they can do it, I> should be able to too.”

Nica’s parents divorced a year ago and she has not had any contact with hermother since then. She lives with her sister with her father, who happilysupports her pregnancy 100 percent. She doesn’t have to expect anything fromthe father of her upcoming child, she explains. “His parents were not happywith it. They don’t want the baby, they don’t believe it is his. Well,completely fine,” she says expressionless for the camera.

As for her delivery, Nica is sober about it. She is going to give birth athome. “I don’t care much for hospitals. If I can do it at home, I prefer to doit at home. I always think everything will be fine, so I don’t really need ahospital. I’ve seen women give birth in taxis in Africa, so If they can do it,I should be able to.” Tabitha explains that she started her first pregnancyvery differently. “I read really well before I gave birth.”

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Heleen van Royen shares intense story in Four Hands On One Belly

When Tabitha asks her about her mother’s absence during this important period,she shrugs. “It has actually given me a lot of peace that I no longer speak toher. But of course you always miss someone.” Tabitha recognizes a lot ofherself in Nica. “She finds it difficult to go into depth. Think that thethings that still hurt her a lot, that she consciously stays away from that. Iused to have that wall around her too.”

When asked if she has taken a pregnancy course, Nica responds negatively. “No,a course is not for me. Can really be stolen from me. I think that once I givebirth that I panic and that I forget everything.” Tabitha explains to her thatit is precisely for this reason that it is important to make a birth plan and,miraculously, she seems to be open to a birthing course after this. Not onlythat, she even meets with a lactation consultant to learn more aboutbreastfeeding. In retrospect, she is glad she listened to Tabitha. “It hasgiven me more confidence, I have really benefited from this.”

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Kim Kötter gives important update about Meli from Four Hands On One Belly

Nica eventually has to ditch her plans for a home birth. She is in so muchpain that she wants pain medication and still goes to the hospital. Oncethere, it just doesn’t get along with the opening and everything goesdifferently than she had planned. Viewers witness Nica throw up several timesand even cry for a Caesarean section. “I really can’t anymore!” she exclaims.Fortunately, Nica doesn’t have to go under the knife in the end and she givesbirth to a healthy boy named Mica.

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Twitter praises 20-year-old mother Meli from Four Hands On One Belly

When Tabitha visits her later, she appears to have undergone a realtransformation. She explains that she has reconnected with her mother and isalso open to taking Tabitha to a boxing class, where she talks candidly abouther difficult childhood. Tabitha is overjoyed: “You can be proud of yourselfthat you are not running away. Today was a special day. It is a day when shehas broken through something. The unconscious has become more conscious”, sheconcludes.

Viewers appear to sympathize with Nica’s violent birth: