Bart de Graaff
| Bart de Graaff | |
|---|---|
 Bart de Graaff in 1991 | |
| Born |
April 16, 1967 Haarlem, Netherlands |
| Died |
May 25, 2002 Leiden, Netherlands |
| Occupation | Presenter, Comedians |
Bart F. de Graaff (April 16, 1967 - May 25, 2002) was an influential Dutch television presenter, comedian and creator, as well as the founder and chairman of the public broadcasting network BNN.
Because of a car accident in his youth, De Graaff suffered from serious renal failure for most of his life. This also caused a growth disorder which made him look like a twelve-year-old boy. In his career as a television presenter he often used this fact to his advantage. 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. Bart de Graaff also made a radio station called 3FM. A television show De Grote Donorshow (The Big Donor Show) by BNN won an Emmy award for Best Non-scripted Entertainment.
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 in May 2002, 35 years old.