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Newsletter UFA reaches 90 Major entertainment brand celebrates anniversary
United Kingdom FremantleMedia launches TVComedyClassics.com Belgium RTL TVI presents next season programme Germany Interview with Gert Zimmer The Netherlands RTL Nederland and EEN join forces to fight poverty
People Kate Barnes new Channel Editor of Five’s digital channels week 34 the RTL Group intranet
Surprisingly young at 90 Big history: UFA links the daily soap Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten, the talent show Deutschland sucht den Superstar, the major movie Die Sturmflut with the legendary German movie The Blue Angel and the classic film Metropolis. Germany - 24 August 2007
The legendary UFA with its varied exciting lent contacts with artists, the Ufa television development that has left its mark on production activities only played a modest role Germany's media market. in the Bertelsmann group until the early 1990s. It was only in 1991, when commercial television The Universum-Film AG (Ufa) was founded on allowed channels to produce their own shows, 18 December 1917 to create a better equal to that this commercial activity began to grow in foreign competitors in not only the film market importance. but also the propaganda sector. The compa- ny's history starts with films such as Ernst Six subsidiaries now act independently on the Lubitsch's Madame Dubarry, Fritz Lang's Dr. market under the brand UFA which today is Mabuse and Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau's The written in capital letters. With over 30 daily and Last Man before Josef von Sternberg produced weekly formats, UFA currently has more regular the international hit The Blue Angel with programmes on the market than any other pro- Marlene Dietrich in 1930. ducer and, with 2,800 hours of programming, is the biggest production unit in Germany. Ufa was a legend, a myth of the silver screen. Anyone who watches TV today will sooner or Today’s Ufa is in fact the fourth Ufa: The first later come across a UFA format: Das Quiz mit Ufa was initiated in 1917 by Chief of Staff Jörg Pilawa, Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten, Ludendorff, established as an instrument of Soko 5113, Dr. Martin, Bella Block, Die propaganda. However, it managed to detach Sturmflut or Dresden. itself from its founding mandate and produced artistically groundbreaking, world-class cine- “Creating ideas and programme brands is our matography. The second Ufa was a state- passion and business. That means that we are, owned company in the services of the Nazi above all, a creative company that produces regime. The third was post-war Ufa, freshly television shows. But we are also keenly expe- denationalised by the Allies, which like the rest rimenting more and more with creating content of Germany’s film industry skidded into crisis for the new media world,” explains CEO Wolf with the emergence of television. The fourth Bauer referring, for example, to the soap Kill Ufa is today’s company, created in 1964 when Bertelsmann took over the ban- krupt company Universum Film.
At that time, the Bertelsmann publishing group had already developed a strong position on the book and record markets and the move into the film and TV market logically completed the range of major media - books, films, television and records. However, despite all the success of commercial expertise combined with an intuition for good content and excel-
Wolf Bauer, Gerhard Zeiler 2 week 34 the RTL Group intranet
your Darling specially created for mobile phones or the 500 clips produced for the Essen & Trinken online portal that show recipes being cooked. UFA also operates the special-interest channel Passion with RTL Television and the Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten website.
UFA knows how to celebrate its 90th anniversary. UFA will publish, in conjunc- tion with the Nicolai publishing house, a lavish photo book containing a wealth of pictures from productions over the past 90 years. Liz Mohn, Gunther Thielen and Klaus Wowereit, governing mayor of Berlin; Behind left, Hartmut Ostrowski And a huge party is also required, of cour- se. On 23 August, UFA invited business part- Heggen attended, from Bertelsmann BVG- ners, artists and friends, along with 600 guests, chairwoman Liz Mohn, as well as the current to celebrate the 90th anniversary in style at the CEO, Gunter Thielen, and the designated next Bertelsmann Unter den Linden building in CEO, Hartmut Ostrowski. Berlin. The party was attended by many promi- nent guests such as actors Michael Degen, In his welcome address, Wolf Bauer noted: Sonja Kirchberger, Axel Milberg, Gudrun “UFA, one of the main German brand names, is Landgrebe, Eva Padberg, Gaby Dohm, Nadja a little younger than Persil, a little older than VW Uhl and legendary cameraman Michael and twice as old as ZDF, yet UFA's program- Ballhaus. From RTL Group, Chairman Siegfried mes are surprisingly young at heart.” Luther, CEO Gerhard Zeiler and CFO Elmar
Michael Ballhaus ARD Programming Director Günther Struve and VPRT President Jürgen Doetz
Liz Mohn and teamWorx CEO Nico Hofmann Hans Mahr, Werner Weidenfeld, Member of the Bertelsmann Stiftung Executive Board and RTL Group CFO Elmar Heggen 3 week 34 the RTL Group intranet
New and old: Comedy Classics online Tommy Cooper Half Hour, George and Mildred, Love Thy Neighbour - FremantleMedia's entire comedy catalogue is now available to download at any time from the new TVComedyClassics.com web portal. Tommy Cooper United Kingdom - 7 August 2007
The TVComedyClassics.com website, which ring to them the content they want, when and launches this month, will host the finest come- where they want it. We very much see dy selections from across the decades starring TVComedyClassics.com as just the first in some of the greatest performers of all times many programme genre portal websites we will such as Tommy Cooper, Frankie Howerd, Sid be developing and we’re certain it will be a big James and Penelope Keith. New old content hit with comedy fans. With the launch of this will be added regularly under the New Releases website, we’re truly taking home entertainment section. into the home.”
To use the site, visitors must comple- te a free registration process. They can then search for the titles they want, purchase them and then down- load and watch them later.
Peter Kalhan, Senior Vice President Home Entertainment & Archive Sales at FremantleMedia Enterprises, com- mented: “TVComedyClassics.com is a brand new distribution channel for FME and a great way for us to interact directly with our consumers by delive-
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RTL TVI in-house RTL unveiled its new-season schedule in Belgium. Belgium - 23 August 2007
The main feature of the 2006 / 2007 schedule is “Spurred on by the excellent results we have its emphasis on in-house productions, with achieved during the first eight months of the RTLTVI offering many new entertainment pro- year, we have put together a new season's sche- grammes and event productions during prime dule which throws down the time such as Aimez-nous, Tout pour plaire and gauntlet of offering our viewers Le grand test national du permis de conduire. programmes which meet all their expectations and which will In Aimez-vous, children go in search of a partner appeal to even more people,” for their mother or father, while in Tout pour plai- said Philippe Delusinne, CEO of re, seven women strive to improve their appea- RTL in Belgium. rance in six weeks. In the interactive programme Philippe Delusinne Le grand test national du permis de conduire, Viewers will also be able to watch football over viewers will be able to find out whether they the coming year on Club RTL, which will be tele- would still pass their driving test today. Another vising the Belgian team's qualifying matches for new arrival is Etes-vous plus malin qu’un enfant the European Championships in 2008, de primaire?. This quiz show was successfully Champions League matches and nine games received at MIP TV in Cannes and gives contes- from the Coupe de Belgique competition. tants the chance to win EUR 100,000 if they can answer a number of primary school-level ques- And last but not least, RTL TVI yesterday revea- tions correctly. The schedule also includes the led a glimpse of the schedule to celebrate its major general knowledge competition Le Grand 20th anniversary. In addition to the RTL Live Concours and a further series of Fort Boyard. celebration concerts starting on 31 August and featuring many well-known stars, there will be a In terms of news, RTL TVI has enhanced the for- number of special programmes looking back at mats for Controverse and RTL +. The news pro- the channel's best and most innovative pro- gramme Le Journal will continue to be aired grammes. In RTL c’est vous, RTL will be giving twice daily at 13.00 and 19.00. The political dis- viewers the chance to work with the channel as cussion show Le Grand Défi, presented by journalists, commentators Kathryn Brahy, Fabrice Grosfilley and Barbara and visagistes for its anni- Mertens will continue. versary. Subsidiary RTL Digital is also planning to Drama fans will also be getting their money's create a special 20th anni- worth. There will be the new US drama Dexter versary RTL website. about a forensic expert (Dexter Morgan) with the Miami-Metro Police Department and Rescue Me about New York firemen, as well as the US drama Jericho. The successful series Prison Break, Desperate Housewives, Les Experts Miami and Manhattan (CSI) and Les 4400 will also be returning.
RTL TVI will also be showing top Hollywood blockbusters such as Shrek 2, Nemo, Ocean’s 12 and Collateral.
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“From the sofa to the supermarket” It’s already a classic event: IP on tour went well again this year. Backstage had a look at the presentation of the German RTL family of channels Germany - 9 August 2007
The German RTL family of channels is touring free-TV brands even further." There are certain- the length and breadth of Germany at the ly opportunities on the digital market and we moment as part of the Primetime - IP on Tour can also actively shape the form this fragmen- event to unveil to agencies and advertisers the tation takes." Schäferkordt referred to the digi- new season of programmes to be shown on tal channels Passion, RTL Living and RTL RTL Television, Vox, Super RTL and N-TV from Crime launched last year. Via the agreement September. with Premiere, the channel's range has increa- sed significantly in recent times. "I am convin- Following the events in Hamburg and Munich, ced that over the next year RTL Crime will a screening was held at Düsseldorf's Capitol become one of the most successful channels Theatre on Tuesday to which CEO Martin Krapf on pay-TV.“ was invited along with the various indi- vidual channels' bosses: Anke Schäferkordt (RTL), Frank Hoffmann (Vox), Claude Schmit (Super RTL) and Johannes Züll (N-TV).
After a brief welcome by Martin Krapf, Anke Schäferkordt outlined the current situation within the RTL family and digi- tal television in the future. She revealed that during the first six months of the year, all the channels in the RTL family had increased their audience share and that the gap between the RTL family and that of ProSiebenSat1 had never been greater. "During the first half of 2007, RTL and Vox were, between them, ahead of ProSieben and Sat1“, she said of the channels' strong perfor- mance. "In response to increasing audience fragmentation, the RTL family is looking to consolidate its existing
Martin Krapf
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Martin Krapf then outlined IP's marketing and services on offer and the channel's family sche- price strategy to agencies and advertisers: "A dule, Claude Schmit stressed that "Super strategy should be straightforward, transferable RTL is more than just a television channel and, wherever possible, should not change and children are not our only target year on year. Our strategy is to be with you at group.“ every stage – from the sofa to the supermar- check the ket.“ He also looked confidently to the future N-TV boss, Johannes Züll, announced photogallery with the Mindset 2007 study predicting that the launch of the new website telebör- on television is set to continue as the number-one se.de on 20 September: "With this site, form of mass media. The study revealed that 44 over the next year we will be one of the
Claude Schmit's was without doubt the most entertaining of the presentations although at first he was barely able to utter more than a few words. No sooner had he started, than he was interrupted by Toggo TV's well-known squirrel puppet – Haselhörnchen – who described Super RTL as "the mother of all crossmedia solutions". In view of the various crossmedia
Anke Schäferkordt
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“Variety of content is more desirable than variety of providers” Backstage spoke to RTL Radio Deutschland CEO Gert Zimmer about the German radio market and the opportunities open to and challenges faced by digital radio. Gert Zimmer Germany - 7 August 2007
Gert, how are radio stations developing at We don't need another mainstream service in RTL Radio Deutschland? the digital world. It's also important to ensure They are developing well. We are very satisfied that digitisation doesn't swallow up the existing with the extensive growth of the radio group in analogue service. It will only be possible to recent years. Economic developments are also offer high-quality products or services for niche very pleasing: 2007 is a good year for radio. markets cost-effectively once the distribution The advertising market has grown by around areas are large enough. That is why we're first 4.5% during the first half of the year. Radio calling for national distribution. This needs to advertising is seeing above average growth of be the driving force for digitisation. Regional 7.5% and currently has a market share of and local services will, of course, play an 6.4%. This is admittedly lower than other important role in the second or third stages. European countries, but a positive develop- ment in comparison with previous years. Independent of transmission paths and standards? Are RTL Radio Deutschland channels follo- Yes, because there will also be other digital wing the general trend and including more standards in addition to DVB-H for Band III information programmes in their schedules? and, at a later stage, for Band II. At the Radio is an entertainment medium meaning moment, it seems that DMB is the first choice that fun and a good mood are essential. for Band III. An agreement to this effect was Without entertainment, radio would not be the recently reached in France. It won't be possi- most popular medium. Content itself has ble to establish a single distribution path alone, always been important, especially in very com- as it was in the past with FM. Programme sup- petitive markets where it is impossible to achie- pliers will have to serve all transmission paths ve a good position with music alone. Ultimately, in one format or another. it is the entire package of music, hosts, enter- tainment, information and service that decides Is that why you also applied for a radio sta- whether a channel succeeds or fails. tion in the DVB-H call for tenders? Yes, we and other individual radio stations and Digitisation of radio is now no longer a groups of stations with which we are involved dream of the future. What do you think of have all applied for stations. DVB-H will play an current developments? important role in the consumers' minds becau- Digitisation will only work once certain condi- se mobile phones are in widespread use and tions are fulfilled: Firstly, consumers need to be regularly upgraded for new models. As a result, able to see that they are being offered added this technology will be quickly integrated into value. "More of the same" simply won't work. the market and it would be fatal if radio via DVB-H wasn't part of this development.
*Digital Video Broadcasting - Handhelds 8 week 34 the RTL Group intranet
Radio bosses in Germany are calling for a Which conditions? digitisation master plan. Do you think this is Firstly, we need to be able to continue vertical necessary? integration, i.e. create broadcasting studios Yes, we definitely need a master plan, especial- that offer programmes in various formats. This ly for digitisation of Band III which offers the will automatically lead to a greater variety of greatest transmission capacity for radio in the content. I believe that this type of variety of foreseeable future. A coordinated introduction content is more desirable than a variety of pro- plan is essential. We can't have a situation viders because it offers listeners the added where digitisation is launched in one federal value they desire. Secondly, we need to tackle state and then in another. A clear switchover is horizontal integration. This means cross-regio- required to show consumers that something nal cooperation that aims to cost-effectively new has arrived! There needs to be a 'big bang' produce products for smaller target audiences of sorts, ideally with the Chancellor pushing a or very high-quality products, such as news red button to launch the process. bulletins or talk formats.
Do you aim to accompany listeners in the Finally, do you think it is possible that the digital world around the clock? first national digital radio programmes will The decisive factor will be that we offer liste- be broadcast in 2009? ners what they want, when they want it and Certainly - if the issue is addressed quickly, a where they want it. Making this possible will be master plan is drawn up and coordinated calls at the very heart of our digital activities. for tender are launched via the regional media bodies, then 2009 is a realistic target date. And what will happen to analogue services? Will the full radio programme gradually Gert Zimmer has been CEO of RTL Radio disappear? Deutschland in Berlin and Senior Vice There will still be a full radio programme as has President Radio Central and Northern Europe been seen in other countries that have made of the RTL Group since 2004. more progress towards digitisation. The prere- quisite for successful positioning in the digital world is the strength of the group of channels in the analogue world. We can only attempt to enter the digital market if we have a strong position on the analogue market. But certain framework conditions need to be improved before then…
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RTL Nederland and EEN join forces to fight poverty Following the ONE Campaign in the United States supported by Bono and Bob Geldof, this year sees the launch of its Dutch namesake – the EEN campaign – in The Netherlands. Fons van Westerloo The Netherlands - 14 August 2007
RTL Nederland is supporting the EEN cam- EEN is a campaign run by the Nederlandse paign and using its celebrities and airtime to Platform Millenniumdoelen and is part of the get everyone in The Netherlands involved in GCAP (Global Call for Action Against Poverty), fighting poverty. People are being asked to visit the worldwide movement behind Live 8 and www.EEN.nl to make their voice heard and 189 ONE, supported by Bono and Bob Geldof. RTL government leaders are being asked to keep Nederland is EEN's media partner and their their promise to halve poverty in the world by cooperation is based on developing a cross- 2015. Various well known RTL faces such as media campaign on television, radio and the Martijn Krabbé, Peter van der Vorst, Wendy van Internet and making available the airtime nee- Dijk, Irene Moors, Froukje de Both, Rick ded for the campaign. Nieman and other actors from the series Goede Tijden Slechte Tijden are follo- wing in the footsteps of global stars such as Brad Pitt, Cameron Diaz and George Clooney. They will be appearing in promotional films made for the EEN campaign and which will be broadcast on RTL channels from 15 August.
Fons van Westerloo, CEO of RTL Nederland, says of the partnership: “Most of us take for grated having enough to eat, having access to good healthcare and the fact that our children can go to school. EEN aims to achieve a great goal: a world in which extreme hunger and poverty are a thing of the past. We are honoured that we have the resources to be able to support this goal in an practical way.”
Skycrapers for the internet campaign
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America’s Got Talent exported to 80 countries FremantleMedia Enterprises has sold broadcas- ting licences for America’s Got Talent to 80 countries around the world. David Hasselhoff, Bianca Ryan, Brandy and Piers Morgan North America - 16 August 2007
David Ellender, CEO of FremantleMedia The second season of America’s Got Talent is Enterprises, announced the deals with broad- currently airing on US channel NBC. All manner casters in the Asia-Pacific Region, North and of artists and performers can apply to be on the South America and Europe on Monday. “We show (magicians, jugglers, singers, dancers, are thrilled to announce this impressive first etc.), the aim of the competition being to find wave of sales for America’s Got Talent”, he the very best talent among all the contestants. said. “Broadcasters all over the world continue The Got Talent format has already been sold in to show a massive appetite for variety and 16 countries. talent shows and they have responded tremen- dously well in particular to this show’s extraor- dinary talent. We are confident that America’s Got Talent will become a juggernaut that we are immensely proud to represent.”
Davie Ellender
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Radio Elvis For three days, RTL Radio in France presented itself as RTL Radio Elvis in honour of the King of rock n’ roll. Elvis Presley France - 14 August 2007
Since 16 July RTL Radio has been reshuffling The highlight, though, was the anniversary its schedule to mark the 30th anniversary of the special on 16 August from 20.00 to midnight. death of Elvis Presley (as reported in Georges Lang reported live from Elvis's home, Backstage). From 13-15 August, the legendary Graceland, including sound bites from RTL presenter Georges Lang reported live from Priscilla, his music colleagues, his tailor and Graceland in Memphis in nine programmes a even his bodyguards. Listeners were also able day. The three-day event included Elvis's hits to sense the atmosphere among the numerous being played late into the night and back- fans who have travelled Memphis to honour ground reports about his life. the King.
Idol Gives Back wins Academy Award The massive American Idol fundraising campaign has received the Governors Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, one of the highest awards for TV productions in the USA. Idol Gives Back logo North America - 8 August 2007
The Governors Award presented by the $75 million was collected during the special Academy of Television Arts & Sciences is a shows aired on 24 and 25 April alone. special Emmy Award that recognises the TV show's direct major achievements. The prize “We are so proud to have been able to levera- will be officially awarded on 8 September ge the power of Idol with the support of our during the Creative Emmy Award ceremony in dedicated viewers across America to raise so Los Angeles. much money and awareness for such worth- while charitable organizations,” said Simon Idol Gives Back was an Amercian Idol special Fuller, Idol Gives Back creator who worked with broadcast in support of poor children and FremantleMedia North America to produce the young people in the USA and Africa. Around show, in a statement.
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Prison Break song goes to number one RTL Enterprises is causing a stir in the charts with its music acts. With the Prison Break theme tune Ich Glaub an Dich, RTL has once again managed to send one of its numbers to the top of the German singles chart. Germany - 16 August 2007
The song by complete newcomer Azad feat. The song has even enabled an artist who was Adel Tawil proved a hit right from the start. previously virtually unknown outside the hip- Before finally hitting the number-one spot, as hop scene to establish themselves and beco- soon as it went on sale it shot straight to num- me a recognised name among the general ber 3 – and stayed there. public.
The hit song was created for the German ver- sion of Prison Break to support the thrilling US drama by giving it its own specially written and composed title track.
6! Setzen – the new event show on RTL Alongside presenter Günther Jauch, six primary school children face up to 600 adults in a general-knowledge battle. Günther Jauch, smart girl Germany - 14 August 2007
Can you remember your primary-school days? themselves if Günther Jauch calls them to the Like when the teacher arbitrarily called you to board. the front to explain something to the entire class? Günther Jauch's new show 6! Setzen – Money is up for grabs for correct answers and Das Wissensduell Groß gegen Klein starts on completed tasks. Otherwise it's "back to your 15 September and is sure to bring back memo- seat!" – just like at school. ries of your schooldays. The children will play for their schools, for In the show, six 9 and 10-year-olds who have example for a fresh paint job for their classroom already completed their primary-school educa- or for their next class trip; the special surprise tion with outstanding marks will pit their wits guests will also be playing for good causes. against 600 adults in the studio. And special The other adult contestants will take home their guests will also have to take part and prove winnings themselves.
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Super RTL supports reading Super RTL launches a new campaign together with Stiftung Lesen: Parents are encourage to read more books to their children Germany - 20 August 2007
For children there is hardly a greater joy than publishers including Esslinger, Family the full attentiveness of their parents to read a Media, Lingoli, Panini, Schneider, and book to them. To encourage parents to read Thienemann as well as the audio book more to their children, Toggolino, the preschool portal toni.de. brand of Super RTL, together with Stiftung Lesen have launched the campaign “Lies mir Super RTL's Managing Director vor!” (“Read to me!”), which will run until Claude Schmit: “Super RTL has November 15. It kindles the fun of reading to been in the lead in among children check out children in mothers and fathers online at with its TV programme line-up and www.toggolino.de www.toggolino.de and with ads during Super online offer for almost ten years now, RTL's television programmes. and we want to keep this position. However, that does not mean that we Therefore, www.toggolino.de offers a lots of want to keep children away from books. advises about reading and numerous tips on To the contrary, in the information age the literature and books. In addition, young web proper media mix is important, and literature surfers can listen to two stories per month onli- plays a central role. The earlier children get ne free of charge in case their parents do not acquainted with books the better. We want to have the time to read to them. And they can show parents and their children that it is fun to also win something: Super RTL and Stiftung read, and that it is an enormous pleasure to Lesen are searching for the most popular book have somebody read a book to them. We are to read to children from among all of the books especially pleased that we are again coopera- presented, and invite all readers to vote. A ting with Stiftung Lesen for the 'Lies mir vor' high-quality storybook is given away each day. campaign, and we are also a member of this The main prizes are a children's bookshelf, a foundation.” children's rocking chair, and carefully compiled children's book packages.
“Lies mir vor!” is the second campaign by Super RTL and Stiftung Lesen. In an ear- lier and very successful cooperation, chil- dren between the ages of six and ten were able to select their favorite books from various genres. Participating in the campaign are renowned children's book
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Touching campaign for RTL's two-part programme Tarragona Love, courage and heroism - it is with these main messages and an emotional lead-up campaign for its two-part event programme Tarragona – Ein Paradies in Flammen that RTL is starting its new season. Germany - 17 August 2007
The key visual of the campaign is, in keeping Michael Hajek, Creative Managing Director for with the drama's subject matter, a horizontal RTL Creation says: “The gripping two-parter wall of fire - in the middle is the silhouette of a Tarragona highlights once again RTL's compe- man rescuing a woman from the flames. tence at producing event programmes – some- thing which is also conveyed in our campaign. An on-air campaign consisting of several com- The story is an extremely emotional one.” mercials and trailers advertising the program- me will be shown from mid-August. In addition, RTL will be airing Tarragona - Ein Paradies in from 15 August RTL will also be running printed Flammen on 9 and 10 September at 20.15. advertisements in the leading television and public-interest magazines, while from 28 August, an outdoor poster campaign will also be running nationwide.
Promotional campaign
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Ren TV buys TVV-Telecom Russian media company Ren TV has extended its portfolio, buying a television and radio company in Vladivostok. Russia - 9 August 2007
TVV-Telecom has become the eleventh regional TVV-Telecom produces television programmes company owned by Ren TV Media Holding. and produces and sells advertising. It also The purchase of TVV-Telecom is part of Ren TV makes TV content available to other channels Media Holding's regional strategy adopted at for retransmission. the start of the year. No financial details about the deal have yet been released. Ren TV Media Holding also owns Russia's lar- gest private television channel, Ren TV, along with 406 independent radio stations in Russia and the CIS.
W9 still number one The M6 Group's digital channel retained its number-one spot in July and was themost-watched channel on digital terrestrial television in France. France - 9 August 2007
With a market share of 3.1 per cent in the 4+ In terms of cumulative audience figures, too, age group, W9 confirmed its status as the mar- the channel also came out on top with 31.8 per ket leader among digital channels in July. The cent of households receiving digital terrestrial channel was up 0.3 per cent on July 2006. The television watching the channel every day. figures are down to W9's successful and ambi- tious programming strategy. The most recent figures published by Médiamétrie also show that in July, over 11.5 million people in France, i.e. 20 per cent of the population, receive digital terrestrial television.
People Kate Barnes appointed as Channel Editor of Five's digital channels
Five US and Five Life Director of Programmes, Kate Barnes is currently Senior Acquisitions Hannah Barnes, has appointed Kate Barnes as Executive for Sky One, Two and Three where Channel Editor of Five’s digital channels Five she was responsible for negotiating format and Life and Five US. acquired content rights across a range of pro- gramming. Kate takes up her post in the autumn and will be responsible for the day-to-day running of Prior to this she spent three years at Flextech, Five US and Five Life and implementing the joining as Acquisitions and Programming channels’ programming strategy. Executive, rising to Channel Editor for Challenge in charge of programmes as diverse as Fear Factor and Miss World. 16 week 34 the RTL Group intranet
The X Factor fires up for series 4 in the UK The X Factor has returned for a fourth series with a new judge, a brand new category and a drop in the age range. The show is produced by Talkback Thames, a subsidiary of FremantleMedia. United Kingdom - 17 August 2007
Five set to go Wild in primetime Five is preparing to launch a new wildlife documentary strand in primetime branded Five Wild. United Kingdom - 13 August 2007
Licence agreement between RTL Interactive and Nintendo Video game publisher RTL Games will release selected games on its RTL Sports, Black Inc. and RTL Playtainment labels for Nintendo Wii consoles. Germany - 20 August 2007
N-TV to provide information for travellers N-TV has concluded a cooperation agreement with service-provider Infoscreen and will, from now on, provide up-to-the-minute information at underground and mainline stations. Germany - 9 August 2007
RTL develops two new fictional formats Dunkelziffer will present a revolutionary new crime series concept and Beate Uhse - Freiheit für die Liebe will tell the life story of the German sex-shop entrepreneur. Germany - 21 August 2007
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