SBS6 to broadcast fireplace for 4 hours tonight; 24Kitchen screens sizzling pan

The four-hour fireplace that SBS6 presents on Christmas Day can surprise in terms of viewing figures. T.V. connoisseur Bert van der Veer thinks that the segment may have scored just as well if they opted for a Christmas film.

"There are certainly people who turned this on at Christmas dinner," Van der Veer predicted. "You can also find such fires online, but this is easier," Van der Veer said.

Van der Veen understood that the competition is tough. "Everything SBS6 tries on this evening is already a losing battle," he said. The competition on channels such as RTL 4 and the NPO channels is too strong for that. Both channels broadcast popular Dutch films at prime time. "Whatever you do, you attract few viewers and with such a fire, you can still generate a bit of publicity and attention."

SBS5 is not the only one with a playful broadcast on Christmas Day. Cooking channel 24Kitchen broadcasts non-stop images of a simmering pan of ragout on its YouTube channel from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. The station is responding to a joke by the satirical website De Speld which suggested the pan to poke fun at the SBS6 fire. In some instances, the ragout pan can also be seen on the T.V. channel of 24 Kitchen.