Lout Donders

Lout Donders (11 June 1954 – 29 November 2022) was a Dutch journalist, editor-in-chief and television program creator.^[1] He lived in Heeze.^[2] He won the won the J.B. Broeksz award [nl] in 1988.^[3] According to Omroep Brabant where he worked most of his career he: "might have been [for Omroep Brabant] one of the most important employees ever".^[4]

Donders worked from 1980^[5] to 1984^[6] for newspaper Het Parool where he was a correspondent.^[7][8] He also worked for the commercial local broadcaster TV8 [nl]. The biggest part of his career he worked for Omroep Brabant. At Omroep Brabant he started working as the news editor-in-chief. However, he had the greatest successes when the "Varia" department (translated: Miscellaneous department) came under his supervision. He ensured that Omroep Brabant became a high-profile broadcaster with award-winning documentaries and increasing popularity.^[4][9]

Donders won the J.B. Broeksz award [nl] in 1988 for his reportage Kinder vom Bulenhuserdamm. The reportage served as a warning against fascism. In this reportage a group of school children from Eindhoven walked the way along two children died in World War II.^[3]

Donders retired in 2020, but he remained active in the media and made programms for Omroep Tilburg [nl].^[4][9]

Donders was grandfather. He died on 29 November 2022 in his sleep, at the age of 68.^[4][9]