Former sports journalist Heinze Bakker has died at the age of 79. The former presenter and commentator had been ill for quite some time.
Bakker worked for NCRV and AVRO, among others, before switching to NOS Studio Sport in 1981. There he was a commentator and reporter at numerous speed skating and tennis tournaments, the Tour de France and the Olympic Games.
He also presented Studio Sport on Sunday evenings and was editor-in-chief for many years.
For the NOS, Bakker reported on more than 60 international skating tournaments, more than 25 grand slam tennis tournaments, 11 Olympic Games, 8 editions of the Tour de France and the Elfstedentocht of 1985 and 1986.
Moreover, he was one of the regular presenters of Studio Sport for a long time, as a result of which his characteristic, calm voice could often be heard in millions of Dutch living rooms on Sunday evenings at 7 p.m.
In recent years, Bakker worked as an editor at Studio Sport, before taking early retirement in 2002.
Radio Tour de France
In the late 1970s, Bakker reported for Radio Tour de France together with Hans Prakke and Theo Koomen. In 1977 Bakker was on the bike and the experienced Koomen was at the front of the race in the first car. That was quickly reversed.
“Within a week, Theo had named the wrong winner three times. That was not his place,” Bakker said in 2013 in the De Pressribune program. “Then we turned around and Theo never left the bike again.”
Born in Heerenveen in 1942, Bakker started his journalistic career as an editor and reporter at the RONO, the Regional Broadcasting North and East. He also studied economics, but soon realized that the study was not for him.
In 1974 Bakker switched to NCRV Radio. There he became chief of sports, editor-in-chief and presenter of the Saturday Sports Show at Hilversum 3. At that time Bakker could also be heard at Langs de Lijn. At the time, all broadcasters loaned reporters to the NOS radio program.
Reports comments
Many NOS Sport commentators and presenters (of the past and present) respond reports to Bakker’s death. “Without him I would never have been accepted at Studio Sport”, says Humberto Tan on NPO Radio 1 in conversation with Evert ten Napel.
Humberto Tan and Evert ten Napel talk about Heinze Bakker