week 39 the RTL Group intranet

Newsletter

Powerful market leader Dirk Gerkens, CEO of RTL Klub, continues the Hungarian sucess story

France

Paris Première - Cheeky, demanding and creative Fresh presenters and new programmes for W9 Spain

Antena offers drama series via mobile phones United Kingdom

FremantleMedia reveals thrilling new entertainment People

Appointments at RTL Lëtzebuerg

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week 39

RTL Klub in pole position for the future

Mariann Falusi, Csillag születik jury

RTL Klub has built up a powerful position since its launch in 1997 and has established itself in pole position as the market leader in the 18 to 49 age range. In the first six months of 2007 RTL Klub remained the undisputed market leader in Hungary with a primetime audience share of 34.4 per cent in the key demographic of 18 to 49 year-old viewers (2006: 34.8 per cent), 8 percentage points ahead of its closest rival TV2. For the full year 2006 RTL Klub also was the number one with programme highlights such as the daily soap, Barátok Közt which drew an average 39.4 per cent audience share in primetime in the target group, and the reality show Gyözike which reported an average audience share of 38.9 per cent. Overall, 16 out of the 20 most popular programmes in 2006 on Hungarian television were broadcast by RTL Klub. RTL Klub airs in the morning 30 minutes of current news. This new news programme premiered on Monday. Is it worth investing in such an expensive programme? First of all, taking into consideration that content-wise, the majority of the programme is ready, it is not so expensive after all. On the other hand, the morning news helps to define the reputation of the channel, and a market leader needs to keep that in mind. Naturally, that does not mean that the programme is not a commercial success. Talking about programmes, what is awaiting viewers in the autumn? We are preparing to launch two large budget original productions in the autumn season: Csillag

The CEO of Hungarian TV channel RTL Klub, Dirk Gerkens, talks to Backstage about new programmes, diversification, digital switch-over and the need to change for Hungarian media regulations. Hungary - 25 September 2007

születik (A Star is Born) and Pókerarc (Poker Face). The successful American series will also continue, of course, with Prison Break, CSI, Bones and Lost to mention but a few as will sport broadcasts such as boxing and the Hungarian national football team. Is it possible for RTL Klub to maintain the growth rate of recent years? We expect further growth but at a somewhat slower rate after several years of high growth. The market is no longer expanding as fast as once was and it is becoming increasingly fragmented: new cable channels keep emerging and their viewing figures increase to the detriment of those of the large channels. RTL Klub has changed its communication strategy, too, this year. We did this because we felt that the news appearing in various media did not reflect our position clearly. Suffice it to say that in 2007, RTL Klub has won the ratings race and has the largest audience in the 18-49 age group in commercial terms over more than 90 per cent of the evening. You are striving to increase your diversification businesses… Yes, RTL Klub is strengthening its online investments. We have just purchased NetPiac.hu, an online DVD and bookstore to extend our own Klub Publishing, which supplies major hypermarket chains and already sells close to one million DVDs annually. We want to convert Netpiac in a full e-commerce platform. 2

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The NHH (National Telecommuni-cations Authority) released the working papers for the multiplex tender last week; tenders will be invited in the autumn and terrestrial digital broadcasting may be launched next year. Will the first nationwide multiplex include RTL Klub? What else would it include if not our channel? However, let us not forget that the potential market for terrestrial digital broadcasting is shrinking steadily. The number of cable and digital pay-tv subscribers is increasing rapidly and more and more people are choosing IPTV. The remainder, in other words those viewers who use only an indoor aerial to receive broadcasts, are not the most profitable customers but still need to be able to watch television. Therefore, it is less clear whether the digital switchover will bring about dramatic changes in the market or not; any such changes will probably be in terms of market share rather than market position. The new Media Act may be adopted by the time digital broadcasting starts and under the new law, the present restrictions concerning cross-ownership are expected to be abolished making it possible for the nationwide terrestrial channels to launch their own cable channels. The legal regulations have to change to enable RTL Klub to build up a family of channels similar to those built up by RTL Group in all its markets. Fragmentation in Hungary is rapid mainly due to the success of Digi TV, the second pay-tv platform, and therefore we need to be able to defend our position. Why should Hungary be an exception?

Istvan Vago

Balasz Sebestyen

week 39

The leading commercial channels have so far let cable providers have their programming for free, but this situation is now changing: your commercial competitor TV2 has already started negotiations with the major market players and will therefore presumably receive money in exchange for its programmes in due course. What is RTL Klub's view on this? That is a complex problem. Certainly, there will be changes. However, the first thing we would like to agree on is the basic principles, or if you like, the payment philosophy. The channel's best show in terms of ratings is Barátok közt (Between Friends), episodes of which have often been in the top five in the weekly audience ratings. Does the CEO follow the storyline? I work and travel quite a lot so I do not really have time to keep up with the events in the plot. However, I always follow the viewing figures with interest.

Dirk Gerkens Dirk Gerkens, born in 1968, joined RTL Group in 1995 as deputy to the Head of TV activities. After studying economics and journalism, he started his career in 1992 as deputy to the CEO of the Barcelona based bookclub of Bertelsmann. In 1997, he was part of the launch team of a TV channel in Hungary. He is CEO of RTL Klub since 2001.

Nora Ordog

Andras Stohl

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Cheeky, demanding and creative Philippe Vandel

French broadcaster M6 Group’s TV channel Paris Première is kicking off the 2007/2008 season with plenty of new programmes. France - 20 September 2007

Paris Première presented its new programme schedule in Paris. This season the channel will mainly focus on magazines, lifestyle programmes, events coverage, series and films.

Where events are concerned, Paris Première will cover the full range, namely sporting events, top concerts and plays. So all aspects of the cultural scene in Paris will be covered.

In the magazine department, one new arrival is the Saturday media magazine Pif Paf, presented by Philippe Vandel, in which journalists and selected viewers rate TV programmes that have either already been broadcast or are scheduled for the near future.

Movie buffs among the channel's viewers will be delighted to see the programme schedule including French films like Le Moustachu by Dominique Chaussois and Hollywood productions like Casino by Martin Scorsese.

Miss France 1999 Maréva Galanter, Paris Première’s new face, will present Do You Do You Scopitone, the magazine devoted to music from the 60s and 70s. Finally, Priscilla Telmon will present a new environmental magazine entitled La terre est bleue comme une orange (The Earth Is as Blue as an Orange). In addition to the popular series Nip/Tuck, Scrubs and Hôtel Babylon, the channel will be screening the US hit programme Shark and the unprecedented Spanish success Genesis à l’origine du crime.

Priscilla Telmon

Paris Première CEO Christopher Baldelli explained: “Boosted by positive financial results again, Paris Première remains ambitious and is investing in a range of programmes hitherto unprecedented in digital TV. The result is a high-quality channel that more and more people are watching”. A year after celebrating its 20th birthday, Paris Première has become something of a fixture in the French media landscape. Last season, roughly 10 million viewers a day tuned in. And between the beginning and end of last season the programme attracted more than 1.4 new viewers. The culture channel can be received via cable, satellite and DTT.

Genesis

Shark

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FremantleMedia reveals thrilling new entertainment Murder

FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) will present various entertainment genres at Mipcom in Cannes this October. Headlining FME's entertainment genre is the new investigation series Murder that offers a clever twist on the usual case-solving format. The programme, which is hosted by senior homicide detective Tommy LeNoir, gives real people the chance to unravel a true homicide pulled directly from police files. FME has launched amongst others the delectable drama Fanny Hill. The drama follows the story of a young, orphaned country girl who falls into prostitution and works her way up the social ladder of 18th century London. Returning to Cannes with a second series is the music show, Live From Abbey Road. The renowned recording studio invites viewers through its famous doors once more to meet a host of new and established international A-list artists.

The new series Murder will make its international debut and the drama Fanny Hill will be as well available for international sale for the first time at Mipcom. United Kingdom - 25 September 2007

Also to see is the return of The Janice Dickinson Modelling Agency in season three. Janice continues to make the transformation from model to mogul by starting and running her own Hollywood modelling agency. A new third series of the lifestyle hit, The Martha Stewart Show, is also on offer at Mipcom. The show is anchored by entertaining and informative segments and puts the spotlight on Martha's sense of humour and love of fun. Every episode features people who have accomplished extraordinary things. Sir Alan Sugar makes his international debut at Cannes in The Apprentice, as he tests the nerves and brains of the hungriest hopefuls in the UK's business world with series one and two available for international sale.

Project Runway returns with a fourth series. Hosted by supermodel Heidi Klum, this reality series follows fifteen fashion designers as they are given the opportunity to have their designs shown in front of the global fashion community in New York and displayed in the pages of Elle magazine. Martha Stewart

Tommy LeNoir

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Other successful shows that FME brings back to Cannes include the delightfully dark and funny scripted series Love You to Death, the smart and sexy teen drama series The Best Years and the drama favourite Neighbours. As well returning are comedies such as series two of That Mitchell & Webb Look, the quirky stories of the I.T. department The IT Crowd and fun from Australia Comedy Inc. Modern Toss brings the sting to the tail of FremantleMedia's comedy titles this Mipcom. This subversive cartoon/sketch show, featuring cutting edge live action-animation hybrids, is based on the cult comic and website of the same name and involves the cream of UK comedy talents such as Mackenzie Crook (The Office), Paul Kaye (Dennis Pennis) and Simon Greenall (Alan Partridge).

Love You to Death

Antena 3 mobile Antena 3 is making all episodes of its drama series available via mobile phone for the first time in Spain. Spain - 21 September 2007

Antena 3 has teamed up with Vodafone to set up a new mobile channel, which will show a variety of Antena 3's drama series in full for the first time. The new service includes successful series such as Un paso adelante, Los hombres de Paco and Manos de la obra. Users will be able to access the mobile channel around the clock. This new service will enable Antena 3 to supplement its existing offer of

television via mobile phones, which previously comprised the channels Lo Mejor de Antena 3 (Best of Antena 3), Canal Megatrix and Antena 3 noticias 24 horas (news). The new drama channel is part of the Vodafone Live TV package and is provided on a pay-perview basis.

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Fresh presenters and new programmes for W9 Buzz, le jeu musical

W9 is bringing a well-known music show La Fureur back to French television – this time with a brand new format and a new presenter in the form of Alexandre Devoise. Another new addition to the schedule is the game show Buzz, le jeu musical, presented by Bertrand Amar, in which contestants must answer questions on music as well as demonstrate their own musical talent. Julie Raynaud is the new host of the weekly talk show Rien que la vérité, in which three guests will have to answer 100 questions from viewers.

M6 Group's digital television channel W9 is launching into the new season with a host of new faces and four new programmes. France - 21 September 2007

The music news programme Musicronik will continue to report every Sunday on the latest trends in the music world. W9 has also brought in several other new presenters, including the dancer Maud Jurez, who will be hosting A vos clips, and Karina Charni who will be presenting the best Internet clips in E-classement. W9 was created over two years ago. Reaching 28.5 percent of all viewers, who are technically able to receive its programming, W9 continues to be the most-watched channel in France’s TNT landscape.

Fun Radio and RTL 2 bank on legal music downloads The French radio stations Fun Radio and RTL 2 have concluded a partnership agreement with download platform iTunes. France - 25 September 2007

Starting in October 2007, Apple's download platform, iTunes will offer the listeners of these two RTL family radio stations the possibility of downloading playlists on a dedicated sector of the website. In all, 100,000 tracks will be on offer. The radio stations explained that the aim of the partnership is “to promote legal music downloads”.

Fun Radio has also concluded a cooperation agreement with the community website MySpace, under the terms of which the radio station will produce exclusive video content with the website.

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Five goes on expeditions with Paul Merton Paul Merton

The documentary series, Paul Merton in China, was a big success for Five, achieving one of the channel’s highest ever ratings for factual programming with 1.9 million viewers and an eight per cent market share. For his next two destinations, Paul has picked two contrasting countries – exotic India and European partner Germany.

After blazing a trail through China, the British actor and comedian Paul Merton returns to Five with two new topical travel shows. United Kingdom - 25 September 2007

Chris Shaw, Five’s Senior Programme Controller, said: “Paul is the classic Englishman abroad and doesn’t go anywhere without his Panama hat and sandals. His brilliant improvised humour and natural curiosity combine to offer a totally new style of topical adventure show.”

Germany is one of the closest neighbours of the United Kingdom but most Brits know little or nothing about modern day Germany and very few choose to spend their holidays there. So just how far does the Brits’ stereotypical image of the Germans match the reality? Nearly 60 years after the war ended and 20 since the Berlin Wall came down, Paul takes off to visit Germany, with side trips to Austria and Switzerland. In the Indian series, Paul would like to meet ‘the coolest monk in India’ - Karmapa Dorje - who has his own MySpace page, is an avid fan of the Black Eyed Peas and Spiderman, and is an enthusiastic Elvis impersonator.

Paul Merton

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RTL's musical actors Jörn Schlönvoigt

The debut single Das Gegenteil von Liebe (The Opposite of Love) by Jörn Schlönvoigt, an actor in the RTL series Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten, entered the Media Control Charts at number 8.

After the sensational chart success of RTL soap star Mars, another RTL actor has now taken the hit parade by storm. Germany - 20 September 2007

bers of Grundy UFA series as talented musical artists with the support of RTL Enterprises and DEAG. This achievement once again underlines the status enjoyed by our series among music fans”.

This is the second successful example of successful cooperation between RTL Enterprises, Grundy UFA and DEAG Music/Warnermusic Germany. The solo single Reason by Mars, known to viewers from the series Unter uns, was launched with similar success. Fred Casimir, Vice President Music EMEA Fremantle Entertainment, said: “I'm very happy for Mars and Jörn and delighted that we've managed to establish two talented cast memCD Cover

M6 Publicité partners with Bolloré Intermédia M6 Publicité and Bolloré Intermédia agreed on a partnership that enables both companies to advance their offers in cross-media advertising solutions. France - 20 September 2007

M6 Publicité and Groupe Bolloré will jointly offer their respective advertising customers and their customer’s agencies advertising deals. The new offer combines advertising deals for M6 Publicité in Bolloré’s two free daily papers Matin Plus and Direct Soir.

The move expands M6 Publicité portfolio of commercial advertising in the free daily papers while effectively raises Groupe Bolloré’s recognition and renown throughout the advertising market. 9

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Long-running hit with rising viewing figures Law & Order

Law & Order, the flag ship US crime series and longest-running series in the world, has been on air for 17 years. The popular crime series shows not only how a crime is solved by the police but also how the case is followed up by the judicial authorities. This evergreen series continues to achieve rising viewing figures with this successful recipe. Two new faces will join the show this season: Dennis Farina (Get Shorty, Out Of Sight) arrives on the scene as Detective Joe Fontana to aid his colleague Edward Green (Jesse L. Martin) in the daily fight against crime on the streets of New York. Annie Parisse will guarantee law and order as Alexandra Borgia in the district attorney's office.

The 15th season of Law & Order has just started on RTL Television. Germany - 25 September 2007

Jerry Orbach, who played Detective Lennie Briscoe from the third season, retired at the end of the 14th season in May 2005 and passed away six months later. He was replaced by Dennis Farina at the start of the 15th season. Law & Order has received 52 Emmy nominations and won the much sought-after award six times. The show was also nominated for the Golden Globe six times. NBC announced that the series would continue in May 2007. The 18th season is currently being filmed in New York and will be aired in the USA from 2008.

Law & Order

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ExperiMental – The quirky science show Experimental

Our everyday lives are full of mysteries. Yet even the strangest phenomena have scientific explanations, and ExperiMental – Die verrückte Wissenschafts-Show will set out to provide them. Broadcasts of this brand new German show made by Super RTL has started on 25 September, casting light on even the most apparently unfathomable scientific puzzles.

This new Super RTL production will zero in on strange, but everyday phenomena. Germany - 20 September 2007

The show will be presented by Henry Gründler, who made his name as the unforgettable anchor man of the RTL comedy hit Freitag Nacht News. With him will be a team of experts who leave no question unanswered.

Driving bulls and bears N-TV promotional campaign

A milestone for N-TV: the 20,000th edition of Telebörse. Germany - 20 September 2007

So what better time to introduce a whole range of new features? The programme will now be presented from a newly designed studio – and it is also taking the opportunity to launch its own Telebörse website. Teleboerse.de went online yesterday and the launch of the new portal was accompanied by an extensive advertising campaign. Some of the channel's best-known faces such as stock-market legend Friedhelm Busch came back to offer their congratulations.

With six programmes a day, Telebörse keeps viewers up-to-date with the latest developments on stock markets and in companies around the world. The popular economics programme also broadcasts live interviews with analysts, experts and chairmen as well as background reports, all produced by a 25strong team of editors, technical staff and presenters working in three shifts. Telebörse is broadcast daily (on trading days) at 12.30, 13.30, 14.30, 15.40, 19.00 and 21.15. 11

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People

Appointments at RTL Lëtzebuerg RTL Télé Lëtzebuerg announced an internal reshuffle. Luxembourg - 21 September 2007

With this in mind, the following appointments have been announced:

New Director of Information: Marc Linster Former Editor-in-Chief of RTL Radio Lëtzebuerg, Marc Linster, now takes over responsibility for researching and selecting information programmes for RTL Radio, Téle Lëtzebuerg and RTL Newmedia.

New Head of Magazines, RTL Télé Lëtzebuerg: Steve Schmit In addition to his position as Station Manager at RTL Télé Lëtzebuerg, Steve will also head up the magazines division.

The synergies between RTL's media are also a distinct advantage when it comes to news production. To promote these synergies further, RTL Lëtzebuerg has decided to make the following new appointments:

New Editor-in-Chief, RTL Télé Lëtzebuerg: Alain Rousseau Alain Rousseau, who joined the channel back in 2001 and has been serving as Deputy Editorin-Chief, will take over from Tom Graas as the new Editor-in-Chief of RTL Télé Lëtzebuerg.

Christiane Kremer, Head of Programming at RTL Radio Lëtzebuerg, will now also be responsible for culture programmes for all three RTL media.

The reorganisation is designed to give the existing structure of RTL's Luxembourg programming a more dynamic feel.

New Deputy Editor-in-Chief: Caroline Mart Journalist and presenter Caroline Mart, previously in charge of culture and information programmes, will be giving RTL Télé Lëtzebuerg the benefit of her experience in her new role as new Deputy Editor-in-Chief.

Steve Schmit

Alain Rousseau

Lucien Linster will take over responsibility for all sports programmes on RTL Lëtzebuerg. He will remain in his post as Director of Administration. Alain Berwick, Managing Director of RTL Lëtzebuerg, says: “This kind of organisational structure will certainly increase the synergies between the three media and will ensure that we continue to fulfil our public-service role.”

Caroline Mart

Marc Linster

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