Interview with Jo Lernout on Micha Marah's Hadiemicha Program on MENT TV

 

Micha Marah, a Belgian singer and actress who represented Belgium at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1979 with the song "Hey Nana," hosts the Hadiemicha Program on MENT TV. In this episode, he interviews Jo Lernout, asking about his past, his career, and the issues that led to the downfall of Lernout & Hauspie. Lernout also discusses the significant loss of technology and knowledge.

Lernout elaborates on The Wall Street Journal's role in L&H's failure, admitting that a major mistake was their belief that they could simply purchase any technology from the US and use it without issues. He feels they should have established their main office in the US and included American government officials on their board. This miscalculation cost them and many Flemish people both money and honor. One example of this was their acquisition of Dictaphone, where they used technology funded by American support for their own purposes.

The conversation was serious and honest, but also featured humorous moments, especially when Lernout shared the story of his “first bankruptcy” involving a cigarette vending machine. He bought cigarettes in bulk, only to have his brothers use a stick to steal free cigarettes from it. This home business ultimately failed.

Through his interview with Micha Marah, Jo Lernout had the chance to recount his story, from joyful experiences to painful moments. This opportunity was made possible by Micha Marah, Marc Hallez, and everyone behind Ment TV.

 

Reference:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micha_Marah
https://kw.be/de-padi-show/spraakmakend-interview-met-west-vlaming-jo-lernout-bij-hadiemicha-op-ment-tv/