"Suspicious situation" has police, media firms on alert at national broadcast center
A report of a suspicious situation at the broadcast center in Hilversum sent several police officers to the area on Monday morning. Multiple media outlets advised their staff to remain indoors during the incident, and tightened entry access to their facilities.
Police would not confirm the nature of the incident, though flight records show a police helicopter circled above the Media Park for over an hour before returning to Schiphol Airport.
An email from broadcaster VPRO stated, "We have just been informed by the police about a possible unsafe situation at the Media Park. The police are conducting extra surveillance and that is why a police helicopter is now circulating above the Media Park. The media park's security is on heightened alert and is closely monitoring the entrances/exits."
The email was shared on social media at 11:35 a.m. by Eric Arends, a journalist who appears on the VPRO/Human program, Argos. Hart van Nederland reported that NOS told its staff to remain indoors. A police spokesperson told HilversumsNieuws that the police presence was "out of precaution."
In response to the incident, NOS closed all of its entrances, with access only granted via the main doors with approval from the reception staff. Similar words of caution were also sent to staff members at other media outlets with a presence at the Hilversum facility.
Several police officers were stationed near the Nederlands Instituut voor Beeld & Geluid. The visual arts museum is located across from one of the large broadcast studio complexes at Media Park. This includes facility run by EMG Netherlands, which eventually reopened its doors.
