[2] After graduating, he went as a journalist to work for the weekly magazine HUMO, the newspaper De Morgen and as a sports editor of the then BRT.
In the early 1990s, Vandenhaute presented with Uytterhoeven the comedy talk show Het huis van wantrouwen [The House of distrust].
In 1997 Vandenhaute founded together with Jan and Erik Huyse Watté the production Woestijnvis, that initially exclusively made programs for VRT.
Thanks to TV personalities such as Uytterhoeven, Rob Vanoudenhoven, Tom Lenaerts and Bart De Pauw, and TV shows like Man bijt hond [Man bites dog], de Mol and Alles Kan Beter [Everything Will Better], Woestijnvis grew into one of the most successful production companies in Flanders.
Even fiction series like Het eiland [The Island], De Parelvissers [The Pearl Fishers] and Van vlees en bloed [Of flesh and blood] were a success.
[3] That year Vandenhaute was made CEO of De Vijver, the holding company whose properties included Woestijnvis, 49 percent of the Humo magazine.
[4] In 2011, De Vijver purchased with Corelio and Sanoma Media TV channels VT4 and VIJFtv for an amount estimated between 100 and 150 million.
In 2011 Vandenhaute endured much criticism when he announced that would be removing the climb of the Muur van Geraardsbergen from the route of the Tour of Flanders.