Dutch premier glad donor show a publicity stunt

By Foo Yun Chee

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - The Dutch prime minister said a reality television show about a "dying" woman donating her kidneys, which turned out to be a hoax, was not the most suitable way of highlighting the need for more organ donors.

The show sparked worldwide controversy ahead of transmission on Friday and Premier Jan Peter Balkenende had said it would harm the reputation of the Netherlands abroad.

Balkenende was pleased the program was nothing more than a publicity stunt, Dutch news agency ANP reported on Saturday.

"Some will find it great and creative, on the other side there will be people who find it coarse and misleading," he said.

In his opinion the show was not the most appropriate method for drawing attention to organ donorship, but he hoped it would make people really think about the issue.

Around 1.2 million people watched, according to ANP, giving broadcaster BNN its seventh highest audience ever. About 12,000 people signed up as organ donors during the show.

"An hour later we were still sitting at home with our mouths open and our caps off to them. A great stunt. Historic television," television reviewer Wim de Jong wrote in daily De Volkskrant.

HEALTHY ACTRESS