NOS paid ex-director nearly four times more in severance than disclosed

The Dutch public broadcaster NOS disclosed in its newly released annual report that it paid former general director Gerard Timmer a full 75,000-euro severance package — nearly four times the roughly 19,500 euros it had previously reported — amid ongoing scrutiny over executive compensation that also engulfed his successor, RTL reports.

Timmer left the NOS in March 2024 after a Volkskrant investigation accused him of ignoring repeated internal warnings of misconduct while he was director of BNNVARA. The allegations centered on two programs: De Wereld Draait Door (DWDD) and Zembla.

At DWDD, more than 50 former employees described extreme outbursts of anger and public humiliation by presenter Matthijs van Nieuwkerk. Dozens took leave due to what they described as toxic working conditions.

Timmer and his management reportedly discussed complaints about van Nieuwkerk but did not intervene. At Zembla, a deputy editor who reported abuses was demoted, and the confidential counselor on the case was removed from the file.

Although Timmer departed in March 2024, the NOS continued paying his regular salary through December, resulting in more than 213,000 euros in base compensation. The 2024 annual report had listed an extra severance payment of only 19,452 euros. The new report states: “In early 2025, the remainder of the agreed severance package of 75,000 euros was paid to Gerard Timmer.”

NOS attributed the earlier underreporting to “a wrong interpretation of the WNT regulation,” the Dutch law on top incomes at public institutions. “This created the impression that the payout consisted only of that amount,” the report said, calling it a “technical omission.”

Spokesperson Koen Adriaanse explained that both the NOS and its external auditor, PwC, believed only the December 2024 portion belonged in the 2024 accounts and the January 2025 remainder in the following year’s report. The financial statements were approved by PwC.

The Timmer case is the latest in a series of pay controversies at the NOS. In March 2025, RTL Z revealed that Timmer’s successor, Renate Eringa, had been compensated at the higher interim rate despite already holding a long-term contract and dual board roles. Eringa later returned part of her salary.