Emotional Moments of All Kinds RTL Group Channels Start to the New Formula 1 Season with Some Extra Power
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02 April 2009 week 14 Emotional moments of all kinds RTL Group channels start to the new Formula 1 season with some extra power LuxembourgLuxembourg UnitedUnited KingdomKingdom Gerhard Zeiler looking at the A new kind of quiz for the years ahead website of The Sun France Dawn Airey on a possible 15 years of Capital merger with Channel 4 COVER: Montage with different impressions from the Formula 1 2 week 14 the RTL Group intranet “Recognising the signs of the times” Last Sunday the 2009 Formula 1 season began in Melbourne, Australia. RTL Television, RTL 7 and RTL Klub broadcast comprehensive covera- ge of the sporting event – with RTL Television using a new design and new production techno- logy. Manfred Loppe, Head of Sports at RTL Television Germany - 2 April 2009 After another thrilling final last season, Formula 1 is still TV’s most-watched sporting event series. Manfred Loppe, Head of Sports at RTL Television, says: “Formula 1 is the perfect choice for people who love suspense, high- tech, racing, competition and emotional moments of all kinds. The changes to the rules and the technology will invigorate the sport.” In the new season, the sport unveils its new, exciting look. Not only do the race cars them- selves look different, numerous far-reaching changes to the rules promise more passing manoeuvres, greater equality of opportunity, and more sensational images. The return of slicks, and the complete aerodynamic overhaul of the cars mark the opening of an entirely new chapter in Formula 1 history. “Each new development always harbours potential risk,” says Loppe. “But the new rules aren’t aimed at further increasing the distances in Formula 1 – on the one hand they aim to reduce costs, and on the other to give smaller teams a chance to catch up. This development Christian Danner (left) and Heiko Waßer takes us 100 per cent in the right direction.” new insights and impressions, for example Not only have the rules of Formula 1 changed: from the garages and buses, as well as the kit- just in time for the new season, RTL Television chens and the physio department. In this way also presents a new layout for its F1 coverage. we’ll get closer to the drivers and the previous- The overall presentation, including graphics, ly secret places of Formula 1 than ever before.” animations and fade-ins, has been changed and is now more comprehensible and clearer. Meanwhile, Formula 1 is also adapting to the “In terms of content, we want to take the vie- general trend towards environmental protection wers by the hand even more and lead them into and social responsibility by prescribing a rigo- the backstage areas of this top sport,” says rous austerity programme this season. And RTL Loppe. “If the teams deliver on the promises Television has also adapted to the trend and they made to us, we will now be able to share introduced a new production regime. “We reco- 3 week 14 the RTL Group intranet gnised the signs of the times early on and took measures accordingly, to be able to maintain our high levels of quality at a lower cost,” says Loppe. “We made savings in production engi- neering and logistics, which the viewers, howe- ver, will not notice.” Because the races take place worldwide, it is particularly important that the setup of local production facilities proceeds quickly and smoothly. For this reason, the channel has developed a new container system especially for the overseas races into which the full technical units are compressed, fully wired, and can be flown with any airline. “So once they’ve arrived, the units only have to be hoo- ked up to the power supply,” says Loppe. “As Olav Mol, the face of Formula 1 at RTL 7 a result we are more flexible, we save weight, time, manpower, and hence costs.” For RTL Television in Germany, Melbourne is the 19th Formula 1 year in succession – with a proven team: former world champion driver Niki Lauda joins presenter Florian König to pro- vide concise expert analysis of the races. Heiko Waßer and ex-Formula 1 driver Christian Danner provide commentary, with pit reporter Kai Ebel completing the RTL quintet. “After a long break you always look forward to the new season, of course. Especially as right now the rules have changed to an almost unpreceden- ted extent in Formula 1,” says Ebel. “That’s why it’s a bit like poker: you don’t actually know how Florian König and Niki Lauda (right) strong your own hand is as long as you don’t several years now. The opening race last know how good the others are.” And that’s Sunday was watched by 63.6 per cent of vie- exactly what happened with Brawn GP’s victo- wers in the target group of men aged 20 to 49. ry last weekend. A total of 3.65 million people The race also achieved a total market share of in Germany watched the opening race on 50.7 per cent – despite it being shown so early Sunday morning, equivalent to a total audience on Sunday morning. In addition to Formula 1, share of 50.7 per cent. RTL GP also broadcasts races from A1, World Touring Car Championship, Moto GP and the In the Netherlands, RTL 7 broadcasts Dakar Rally. Viewers are offered additional info Formula 1 races as part of RTL GP, the chan- on the RTLGP.nl website. There is also a print nel’s motorsport magazine. Olav Mol is the face magazine, a game, an RTL GP collection and a of Formula 1 at RTL 7, having presented the tour operator, RTL GP Travel, which organises programme and provided race commentary for travel to various motorsport events. Brawn GP’s car in Melbourne 4 week 14 the RTL Group intranet Formula 1 on RTL Television: more than 2 billion viewers 25 years ago, on 26 March 1984, the fledgling commercial channel RTL plus cove- red its very first Formula 1 race, the Grand Prix of Brazil – via telephone line at the time. Until 1988, RTL broadcast the World Cup races live and in full length, after which it showed the pre-qualifying races for two years. RTL’s Formula 1 success story began ‘for real’ in 1991, when RTL Television finally broadcast a top-league race again, the Grand Prix of France. What none of the responsible parties at RTL Television and in Formula 1 could know at the time: RTL Television has never stopped broadcasting the top league of motor sports since that momentous French Grand Prix. 19 April marks a big anniversary: The Grand Prix of China will be the channel’s 300th consecutive broadcast of a Formula 1 race. RTL Television has racked up 101,000 minutes of F1 broadcasting, or 70 days, since then. The total number of all viewers who have watched the live races on RTL Television to date is an astronomical 2.022 billion. RTL Sports Chief Manfred Loppe says: “Formula 1 grew into a brand alongside RTL Television here in Germany, and the RTL brand has long since become synonymous with Formula 1, which has added to our reputation and given us great ratings. The two are united by a shared success story and a very close partnership.” In Hungary, RTL Klub has been broadcasting apart from international football matches and Formula 1 races live for over eight years. On European and World Championship finals. Last racing weekends, fans of motor racing can Sunday’s race attracted 54.9 per cent of the 18 watch the qualifying races on Saturdays and to 49-year-old target market, and attained a the races on Sundays. If due to the time diffe- total audience share of 44.9 per cent. rence the race is too early in the morning, RTL Klub repeats it in the evening, so that no Throughout the 2009 season, in addition to one has to miss it – just as RTL Television and 17 Grand Prix on Sundays, all three stations will RTL 7 do. also broadcast the live qualifying races on Saturdays. The final of the 2009 season takes The qualifying race and the race itself are each place on 1 November with the first-ever Abu accompanied by a studio discussion with the Dhabi Grand Prix. From a sporting perspective, presenter Balázs Gyulai and one or two guests. it is almost impossible to make predictions for There are also two commentators – Gyula the coming season, because of the new rules – Czollner and László Palik – who follow the as Brawn GP’s victory on Sunday demonstra- events from the studio in Budapest and an ted. interpreter who translates the interviews with the winners at the post-race press conferen- The next race – in Malaysia – will be broadcast ces. An on-site reporter, Zoltán Szujó, is res- on RTL Television, RTL 5 and RTL Klub on ponsible for conducting exclusive behind-the- 5 April. scenes interviews and reports, to provide vie- wers with additional information on the drivers and teams. The Hungarian Grand Prix is one of the coun- try’s most popular sporting events and also very popular on TV, scoring the highest ratings Balázs Gyulai, RTL Klub 5 week 14 the RTL Group intranet A good year, and bleak prospects At Bertelsmann’s Top Management Meeting in Berlin, RTL Group CEO Gerhard Zeiler gave an overview of the company’s situation and took a look at the years ahead. Gerhard Zeiler Luxembourg - 30 March 2009 Zeiler began his presentation with a look at the ‘cost, cost, cost’”.