Dutch TV presenter Albert Verlinde and his partner, the Conservative VVD politician, have applied for an interlocutory injunction against the TV Channel BNN. They are demanding that BNN be banned from airing private telephone calls recorded in secret by BNN's youth programme VOC. "We want our privacy back", the RTL TV personality said.

Mr Verlinde is a Dutch actor and theatre producer who also co-hosts the commercial broadcaster RTL's daily talk show RTL Boulevard. On one of his shows, a presenter from BNN - a TV public broadcaster aimed at young people - awarded him "The Golden Ear" award, which BNN presenter Sophie Helbrand said was for Mr Verlinde's "excellent observational skills". When Mr Verlinde inquired if the prize was a joke, Ms Helbrand reassured him that it was for real.

But there was more to the "ear" than met the eye. The makers of the BNN programme VOC, which is co-hosted by Ms Hilbrand, informed Mr Verlinde that the "award" had in fact contained a bugging device which recorded the RTL presenter's private conversations.

The act was an attempt to highlight the fact that Mr Verlinde himself often crosses the threshold of journalistic norms when it comes to respecting the privacy of Dutch celebrities, BNN said. VOC was alluding particularly to footage broadcast by RTL Boulevard of Real Madrid footballer Wesley Sneijder kissing a married woman in parking lot.

BNN photo by buxx (flickr)