Bart de Graaff

Dutch television presenter

Bart de Graaff
Bart de Graaff in 1991
Born	Bart Frederikus de Graaff (1967-04-16)16 April 1967 Haarlem, Netherlands
Died	25 May 2002(2002-05-25) (aged 35) Leiden, Netherlands
Occupation(s)	Presenter, comedian

Bart Frederikus de Graaff (Dutch pronunciation: [bɑrt ˌfreːdəˈrikʏz də ˈɣraːf];^[1] 16 April 1967 – 25 May 2002) was a Dutch television presenter, comedian and creator, as well as the founder and chairman of the public broadcasting network BNN.

Career

In 1997, he founded a public broadcasting network, Bart's News Network (BNN). After his death, it was renamed to Bart's Neverending Network. Targeted at a youthful audience, the network quickly became known for its sometimes provocative programming. A television show De Grote Donorshow (The Big Donor Show) by BNN won an Emmy Award for Best Non-scripted Entertainment.

Death

At the end of 1997 De Graaff received a donor kidney and was for a time able to live a relatively normal life. In 1999 the kidney was rejected and his health deteriorated quickly. De Graaff died on 25 May 2002 at the age of 35.