How Geo Television Takes Viewers on Voyages of Discovery

week 20 / 15 May 2014

FASCINATION AND CURIOSITY How Geo Television takes viewers on voyages of discovery

Germany North America United Kingdom Positive responses American Idol will “The future of television for Team Wallraff continue in the US relies on digital and traditional TV-makers working together” week 20 / 15 May 2014

FASCINATION AND CURIOSITY How Geo Television takes viewers on voyages of discovery

Publisher RTL Group 45, Bd Pierre Frieden L-1543 Luxembourg

Editor, Design, Production RTL Group Corporate Communications & Marketing

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Positive responses for Team Wallraff RTL Television p.7–8

American Idol will continue in the US FremantleMedia North America p.9 Geo Television: “Noble, helpful, good” “The future of Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland television relies p.4–6 on digital and traditional TV-makers working together” FremantleMedia p.10

Big Picture p.11

SHORT NEWS p.12

PEOPLE

p.13–14 “NOBLE, On 8 May 2014 at 20:15, Geo Television, Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland’s new pay-TV HELPFUL, channel, took to the airwaves. Backstage presents a portrait of the new station. GOOD”

Germany – 15 May 2014 Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland

Klaus Holtmann, Head of Pay-TV Channels at Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland, Anke Schäferkordt, CEO of Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland and Peter-Matthias Gaede, Editor-in-Chief of Geo magazine

4 A high fence surrounds the grounds of the ESA in right partner for successfully transferring our brand Cologne. It is a bit remote, near the airport, across to television. Practically all of the formats have from the airbase. Ofﬁ cially, the area is not part of managed to replicate the visual strength of the Germany: it is an extraterritorial area, which means magazine on screen. Last not least, we like the your ID gets checked at the entrance. The area is design our RTL colleagues have come up with: in fact European. This is the home of the European noble, helpful, good.” Astronaut Corps, where astronauts prepare for their six-month missions to the International Space Peter Kerckhoff, Head of Content & Portal at Station ISS. This is where childhood dreams come Deutsche Telekom, said: “We are delighted that true. And this is also where the latest addition to two strong brands – two ﬂ agships – have teamed Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland’s family of up to give birth to Geo Television. It gives us an channels made its on-air debut. opportunity to intensify the business relationship we’ve had since 2007 with the digital channels Passion, RTL Living and RTL Crime. We can only distribute content if it is well made. You have a team that works with passion and knows what it’s doing.”

Right on cue at 20:15, Geo Television went on the air. Like the evening at the Space Centre, the launch-day programming revolves around science and technology. The documentary Hawking kicked things off with a unique insight into the world of the British astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, one of the most famous scientists of our time. Space enthusiasts were then treated to the Klaus Holtmann documentary Im Schatten des Mondes (In The Shadow Of The Moon), a retrospective of the Klaus Holtmann, Head of Pay-TV Channels at US space programme in the 1960s and 1970s. Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland, welcomed the guests: “Channel launches are often celebrated with big parties and lots of celebrities. But that wouldn’t ﬁ t with Geo. We’re here today because we have something in common: Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland, Geo magazine and space travel are all about amazement, inspiring people, and making a difference. “

He talked about his own ﬁ rst experiences with Geo magazine – looking through back issues in his uncle’s attic: “Even as a little boy I went traveling with the green Geo magazines – from the Sea of Tranquillity on the moon, to Ancient Troy with Schliemann. It fascinated me, amazed me and made me curious for more. And that is exactly the point of Geo Television, too.”

Peter-Matthias Gaede, Editor-in-Chief of Geo, was excited about the launch of the new television channel: “Geo has moved with the times, evolving continuously. Today, I am proud to say that Geo is Germany’s number one monthly magazine in terms of circulation. There was only one thing missing: television. I am convinced that in Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland, we have found the The launch of Apollo 11 featured in In The Shadow Of The Moon

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5 Reinhold Ewald Peter-Matthias Gaede (front) and Hans Demmel, Managing Director of N-TV, in the Soyuz simulator – with Anke Schäferkordt curiously watching the exercise The guests in Cologne were given an impression The channel offers excellent documentaries with a of the world of space travel as it is today – focus on nature, technology, exploration, adventure accompanied by the lively narrative of Reinhold and world history. During its fi rst month of Ewald. Now 57, Ewald was part of the “Mir-97” broadcast, Geo Television will show more than mission and spent about three weeks in space. He 40 programmes for the fi rst time on German TV. gave a fi rst-hand account of how it feels to look at The new special-interest digital channel is available the Earth from above. in HD quality from launch. It complements Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland’s existing pay-TV A “space walk” on the grounds of the European offerings RTL Crime, RTL Living and Passion, which Astronaut Centre offered guests unique insights into were launched in 2006. the various stages of training budding astronauts undergo. They were given access to the training Geo Television’s fi rst distribution partner is models of the European space freighter ATV Deutsche Telekom. From now on, the channel is and Columbus laboratory, and allowed to try included in Deutsche Telekom’s Entertain range in their hand at docking a Russian Soyuz capsule the ‘Documentary’ package – in High Defi nition, if to the ISS in a simulator. Visitors also were able the HD option is booked as well. to take a look at the Eurocom communications centre, where constant contact is maintained with the astronauts at the International Space Station. The fascination of space technology was made tangible – a fascination that inspired many subsequent conversations at the event and that many of the guests took home with them. As of now, Geo Television brings this fascination to living room screens across Germany.

For more information, see Geo-Television.de Geo Television will feature high-quality documentaries, such as Frozen Planet 6 POSITIVE RESPONSES FOR TEAM WALLRAFF RTL Television

On 12 May 2014 RTL Television aired the third episode of Team Wallraff, and 3.81 million viewers tuned in. The format was well received not only on television, but also online and by the press – and is now the talk of the nation. Germany – 14 May 2014

Günther Wallraff in Team Wallraff

In the ﬁ nal episode of Team Wallraff for now, two reporters and their mentor, the investigative journalist Günter Wallraff, took a close look at the security industry, earning a market share of 15.3 per cent in the 14- to 59-year-old target demographic on 12 May. Thus, the season has had a very successful track record on RTL Television, with an average 4.07 million viewers watching each of the three episodes. The average market share among 14- to 59-year-olds was 16.9 per cent.

Team Wallraff – Reporter Undercover is also one of the most requested videos on the VoD site RTL Now at the moment. Over the past two weeks, the programmes have generated 800,000 video views. Team Wallraff was also one of the most popular topics on RTL.de and in the social networks.

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7 Frank Hoffmann, Managing Director Programming at RTL Television, says: “We announced that we would be taking a more journalistic approach in our real-life formats as well, and have succeeded at this both with Team Wallraff and, earlier, with Das Jenke-Experiment. The editors pulled together with various departments to do a remarkable job – and the response from the public has been accordingly huge. Congratulations to the team, and also big compliments to our viewers for being open to such difﬁ cult topics.”

Michael Hanfeld wrote on 13 May 2014 in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung: “Günter Wallraff and his research team from RTL last did quite a bit of damage to Burger King (...) That’s what we call a direct hit.” Burger King has since responded by taking action: the managing director in charge of the franchise in question was let go, and further measures are being drawn up. Hanfeld goes on to describe Günter Wallraff’s modus operandi, and why the accusation that he had let McDonald’s use him as a ‘PR man’, which had previously been Frank Hoffmann, Programme Managing Director of RTL Television raised by an article in Der Spiegel, is groundless. On 8 May, Hans Hoff had written in the Süddeutsche Zeitung: “What’s going on in German television when a commercial station has to show public-service television how to expose injustice and really cause a stir?”

The DPA press agency concluded: “RTL is running an editorial quality campaign with investigative elements” and asked directly whether RTL Television is pursuing an image shift: less entertainment, more journalism. “We are both: big-time shows as well as good, even investigative journalism,” as Jan Rasmus, Head of the Extra editorial team that is responsible for this content, told DPA. “This mix is not a mutual contradiction, but the core of the RTL’s success. At the beginning of the year, we were the talk of the nation with the jungle show I’m A Celebrity – Get Me Out Of Here, and now the revelations of our young reporters from Team Wallraff are making headlines.”

Backed by excellent viewer response and positive press coverage, RTL Television is determined to remain on the investigative ball. Says Rasmus: “We will also look into some of the many suggestions we have received from viewers and victims. I’m sure Günter Wallraff and our undercover reporters will continue to uncover blatant social and labour law abuses that should and must be brought to the public’s attention.”

8 AMERICAN IDOL WILL CONTINUE IN THE US FremantleMedia North America

American broadcaster, Fox recently announced that the US version of the FremantleMedia singing competition series has been renewed for a 14th season. North America – 9 May 2014

American Idol Judges Keith Urban, Jennifer Lopez and Harry Connick Jr. (from left to right)

Despite lower season-to-season ratings for Idol, a renewal was never in question. The 13th season average still sees the beneﬁ t of heavy sampling during the audition weeks, and Wednesday 7 May’s show still averaged 3.6 per cent of the 18- to 49-year-old target group, with 12.3 million viewers.

Following the news, Kevin Reilly, Fox Broadcasting Chairman, said: “Now it’s about making it a good show for many years to come.”

Season 14 of Idol will hit 15 cities for auditions beginning 18 June in Minneapolis, with stops also planned in Portland, Oregon, Columbus, Ohio, Kansas City, Missouri, Richmond, Virginia, Albuquerque, New Mexico and more.

American Idol wraps season 13 on Wednesday 21 May with judges Keith Urban, Jennifer Lopez and Harry Connick Jr. Meanwhile, host Ryan Seacrest is negotiating a deal to return for the next season.

9 “THE FUTURE OF TELEVISION RELIES ON DIGITAL AND TRADITIONAL TV-MAKERS WORKING TOGETHER” FremantleMedia

FremantleMedia’s Director of Global Entertainment Development (GED), Rob Clark, recently sat down for a video interview with C21 Media, the digital channels business and international publishing company. United Kingdom – 12 May 2014

Rob Clark explains why broadcasters and producers should work together to ﬁ nd the next big format, and how the formats industry is becoming increasingly international.

“The cost of launching a new format on any major network around the world is now so large – both in terms of monetary cost but also if it failed, in terms of lost audiences – that broadcasters and producers have to work together more and more,” says Clark.

The content powerhouse’s Director of GED went on to offer his insight into the big question of the moment: what does the next big global format have to be? “A bit out there,” says Clark. “That’s where the next big hit will come from – it won’t look like a show that broadcasters have already got. Otherwise it would have already happened! It has to be something that’s different enough to make the audience sit up and listen.”

Rob Clark, Director of Global Entertainment Clark also reveals why he thinks the TV industry is a “cyclical” Development at FremantleMedia business and why it’s now essential for new shows to have a strong digital strategy. Alluding to the ying and yang relationship between scripted and unscripted, taking turns at the forefront of TV, Clark shares his view on the possible next cycle. “I believe gameshows, of some description, will make a prominent re-appearance in primetime on the big networks and be successful. If you think about any show that is suitable for digital exploitation, that will offer multiple platforms – it’s the gameshow, one of the oldest forms of IP on TV,” he says.

“The future of television relies on the digital and the traditional TV-makers working together. I think the antagonism between the two is gone. The period we’re entering into now could be really creatively successful by merging those two – you see increasingly that a show that is already on air or that may be in the pipeline will not be fully successful without an extensive digital strategy.”

10 #BringBackOurGirls: the voices of RTL rally to the cause Christopher Baldelli, Chairman of the Management Board of RTL Group’s French radio stations, backs the #BringBackOurGirls initiative to demand the release of the Nigerian students kidnapped by Islamist sect Boko Haram on 14 April. France’s Minister of Women’s Rights, Najat Vallaud-Belkacem (upper right), also posed with the slogan #BringBackOurGirls in the RTL studios earlier this week. SHORT NEWS 1/1

On the racing circuit of the ‘24 Heures du Mans’ RTL Radio

RTL Radio (France) and the organiser of the ‘24 Heures du Mans’ have signed a partnership agreement on the greatest automobile endurance race in the world. On 13, 14 and 15 June, RTL Radio will have a major operation set up to cover this event. France – 12 May 2014

Belgium’s political news in review RTL-TVI

With the upcoming elections in Belgium on 25 May, Bel RTL’s political satire Votez pour moi (Vote for me) comes to ﬂ agship channel RTL-TVI (until 28 May, at 19:45). Belgium – 13 May 2014

The glitter of the Cannes Film Festival on RTL RTL Net

Until 25 May 2014, to mark the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, RTL Radio (France) offers a special feature, highlighting the memories of some exceptional actresses on RTLElles à Cannes (at 13:00). Consult the special ‘Cannes’ ﬁ le on RTL.fr. France – 13 May 2014

Antena 3 premieres Sin Identidad Antena 3

Starting on Tuesday 13 May, 22.30, Sin Identidad (No identity) tells the story of María Fuentes, a young woman who discovers that she is one of Spain’s “stolen children”. In her search for truth, María ends in jail. She later escapes, seeking revenge. Spain – 14 May 2014

12 PEOPLE SARA GEATER FremantleMedia United Kingdom – 15 May 2014

FremantleMedia announced that Sara Geater, CEO of FremantleMedia UK (FMUK), will leave the company at the end of the month.

Announcing Sara’s decision to staff, Cécile Frot-Coutaz, FremantleMedia CEO, paid tribute to her achievements: “As CEO for FMUK for the last four years, Sara has been instrumental in building the new label structure for FMUK, including the recent appointment of Kate Harwood as the Head of the new drama label Euston Films. During her tenure we have seen the revival of titles such as Birds of a Feather and Through the Keyhole, the launch of new shows including Suspects, and An Hour to Save Your Life, and the recommissions of The X Factor and BGT. I would like to thank her and wish her well for her future.”

Sara Geater told staff: “I have worked for FremantleMedia for the last seven years, moving from COO to CEO. During this time, I have successfully introduced our label structure, and this move has resulted in substantial beneﬁ ts to FremantleMedia. FMUK has not only created popular talked-about brand new titles, but we’ve also revived some old favourites to great ratings. Importantly, we’ve secured recommissions for our major Sara Geater, CEO of FremantleMedia UK long-running series, including The X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent. Having achieved everything I set out to do, it’s the right time to leave and take on a bigger challenge. I wish the team the very best of luck.”

Richard Holloway, Managing Director of Thames, will take over as interim CEO until a replacement for Sara has been found. She leaves FMUK on 31 May 2014.

13 PEOPLE SANDRA SCHNEIDERS RTL II Germany – 14 May 2014

Sandra Schneiders

At the beginning of May, Sandra Schneiders took over as Sandra Schneiders on her new job: “Becoming the new RTL II News anchorwoman. Born in Düsseldorf, Germany, RTL II News anchorwoman is an incredibly exciting she has been an RTL II News presenter and editor since challenge and my absolute dream job. I am really looking 2006. forward to working together even closer with our brilliant newsroom team than I did before”. She also presents the science show Schau dich schlau! and the Zeit für Helden documentary series, and has Sandra Schneiders replaces previous anchorwoman already guested as ad hoc presenter for the station, Sandra Thier, who is leaving the news programme at her hosting shows of various entertainment formats. Sandra own request to focus on new challenges and projects. Schneiders started out as an editor and reporter for “Over the past nine years, Sandra Thier has been the RTL West. Other stations she worked for as presenter and face of RTL II News, presenting the news (in its speciﬁ c editor were RTL Nord, n-tv and WDR Lokalzeit Ruhr. format) in a passionate and witty manner”, Matthias Walter says. “We would like to thank her for her outstanding “With Sandra Schneiders, we have gained a top commitment and the time we spent together and wish her journalist and experienced presenter as our daily news all the best for the future”. anchorwoman. She has been a ﬁ rmly established team member these past eight years”, says Matthias Walter, RTL II News is a news programme aimed at teenagers, Head of the RTL II newsroom. “The RTL II News young adults, and anyone else interested in modern topics. programme features the most important events of the day, The choice of topics ranges from the most important explained simply and presented in an exciting way. We political and business world events to environmental, are looking forward to continuing this successful concept service, entertainment and technology issues. So far together with Sandra Schneiders”. this year, the programme, which is broadcast at 20:00, has achieved an audience share of up to 9.5 percent of 14 to 49 year olds, and a share as high as 18.8 percent of 14-29 year olds. 14 More about Backstage

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