Leonie van Bladel

Utrecht. In addition to her work as a secretary, first at the Institute for Art History in Utrecht and later at the NTS Journaal, she took a course at the Press Institute in Amsterdam. In 1965 she did a screen test for broadcaster together with Sonja Barend. She did not get this job and after this she started working at VPRO as a program director. In 1966 she was allowed to fill in as an announcer and she continued to do so until 1973, for both VPRO and IKOR. Van Bladel was also active as a freelance journalist and worked as a reporter and presenter on the radio programs Blik op de Wereld (NOS), In de Rooie Haan (VARA) and on television for the current affairs program Kenmerk (IKON). She presented this column until 1983 and this is where her interest in developing countries, foreign policy and cultures developed. For the NOS, where she became a permanent employee in 1977, she was editor-in-chief of the radio programs Blik op de Derde Wereld ('View on the Third World'), Zorg en hoop ('Care and hope') and Tambú. In 1980 she became head of the Africa department at RNW.^[1]