In 2010, Taco Rijssemus, then director of KRO, decided that Brandpunt should return to television. The motive was obvious: it’s the most powerful current affairs brand in Dutch TV history. He asked me to become one of the program’s defining anchormen.

I agreed—on the condition that I could continue to moderate conferences across the country. After the end of Netwerk, chairing such events had become an important source of income. I also genuinely enjoy getting to know nearly every sector of society and the business world from the inside through that work. It strengthens me as a journalist.

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And besides, with the unpredictable nature of broadcasting politics, a program maker can never count on the continued existence of any show. Rijssemus understood this. The contract explicitly allowed me to continue my conference work, provided I notified the broadcaster in advance—which I faithfully did throughout the years.

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A fantastic period followed. Not least because great colleagues like Aart Zeeman, Wouter Kurpershoek, and Sven Kockelmann joined the venture. And because editor-in-chief Bas van der Ham succeeded in building an outstanding team of reporters around us. Brandpunt 2.0 aired just once a week, allowing for powerful, in-depth, distinctive reports. The motto was: daily current affairs programs are everywhere—but there’s only one Brandpunt. Better, deeper, longer.

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I felt completely in my element. For me, it was almost the culmination of all my years in television. The power of storytelling, crafted in skillful editing, beyond the noise of daily headlines. It was a joy to collaborate on reportage with ambitious colleagues. In much of the teamwork, I felt I could pass on a wealth of experience. The editing room became a playground for creativity, visual impact, and substantive depth.

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But then, disaster struck for me. (See “The Snotneus Affair”.)