Rob Out, “Mr Veronica”, has died

One of the most famous and respected broadcasters in the Netherlands, Rob Out, died of a heart attack on Christmas Day aged 64. Rob Out, dubbed “Mr Veronica”, joined the offshore station Radio Veronica in 1966. Within four years he had become Programme Director. After the station’s offshore days ended in 1974, he led Veronica through its transformation into the largest public broadcaster in the Netherlands, with over a million members. He subsequently worked for several other major Dutch commercial broadcasters: Sky Radio, Radio 538, TMF and RTL Nederland. To many people, he was the single most influential figure in the 40 year history of Veronica, and a giant in the media here. His sudden death has come as a great shock to his friends and colleagues throughout Dutch broadcasting, and tributes are pouring in. He will be sadly missed.