18 June 2009

week 25

“Ripe for take-off” Richard Woolfe explains how to be ‘Feel Good Five’

Germany Kinderwelten offers insights A new online music to children’s lives community

United States Five comments Digital Britain Dancing with celebrities week 25

COVER: Richard Woolfe, channel controller of Five

2 week 25 the RTL Group intranet

“We want to put the fun back into Five” In mid-April, Richard Woolfe joined Five as the new channel controller. Backstage asked Woolfe about his new job and the challenges Five is facing. Richard Woolfe United Kingdom - 18 June 2009

As channel controller Richard Woolfe is in Also Five’s offices are in the centre of London, charge of commissioning, scheduling and Sky’s HQ is at Isleworth 12 miles to the West of strategy for the broadcaster’s main channel. London near Heathrow Airport. This means it is Woolfe reports directly to Chair and Chief so much easier to meet talent, agents and Executive, Dawn Airey, and sits on the Five productions companies which makes a Executive Board. He joined Five in April 2009 massive difference. and has some plans for the channel, already. What are the main challenges you are facing In mid-April, you joined Five from BSkyB. at Five? What’s the biggest difference? The main challenge is to basically turn the The most obvious difference is that at Sky there channel around. The team here have already are 15,000 employees while at Five there are done a fantastic job under very difficult 271. The great advantage of having a small and conditions but what we need is some perfectly formed team is that everyone at Five break-out hits. Five is ripe for take-off, if we knows everyone else, there’s a great spirit, pick the right shows and the right people then I everyone is happy to be working here and know the channel will be the success it truly things can get done very quickly. deserves to be.

Cowboy Builders 3 week 25 the RTL Group intranet

Earlier this year, Dawn Airey said she doesn’t want Five to be a ‘me-too’ channel. What does that mean for your job as channel controller?

That was music to my ears. If Five is going to be successful we can’t make ‘me-too’ shows and be the same as our rivals. We have to produce shows with a Five sensibility or with a unique selling point.

Cowboy Builders is an example of a show we have that is unique to Five – combining a home makeover and a consumer champion show to Five’s US and Australian dramas include CSI Miami... produce something completely different from what you’ll see on other channels. I want a lot more shows like that, series that are noisy, push the boundaries, get talked about by viewers and the press and put the fun back into Five.

Are there any programmes changes you can talk about today?

The channel hasn’t had a Head of Entertainment since 2002 and that’s something we have now remedied. I want Entertainment with a small ‘e’ and entertainment with a large ‘E’ to run right through everything we do at Five. ...CSI: Crime Scene Investigation...

We have great US and Australian dramas, fantastic movies and a brilliant kid’s strand in Milkshake! The missing piece of the jigsaw is Entertainment and that’s something we are setting about putting right.

With all the doom and gloom around at the moment I want us to be the channel that puts a smile back on the viewers face; I want us to be Feel Good Five. ...The Mentalist and...

...Neighbours 4 week 25 the RTL Group intranet

Insights into lives of children The 10th Kinderwelten Convention took place in Frankfurt am Main on 9 June. Over 300 visitors attended the event, a new record. Germany - 12 June 2009

Since 2000, Kinderwelten has generated Claude Schmit, Managing valuable insights about children’s lives and Director of Super RTL, com- leisure behaviour through extensive studies ments: “We have scientifically based largely on in-depth psychological studied the living environments Visit interviews and representative surveys (in all, of children and teens for over ip-deutschland.de/ more than 68,000 children were surveyed, over ten years now. I am very proud kinderwelten 3,500 questions asked). In 2002, for instance, that this year we once again Kinderwelten research indicated that 31 per managed, with innovative tech- cent of the 6- to 13-year-olds surveyed live with nology and much creativity, to pro- parents who aren't particularly interested in vide elucidating insights into how their children’s social interactions, school children experience the world.” matters, leisure-time activities and media use. 800 children were equipped, for three days Super RTL’s Managing Director Claude Schmit each, with mobile smart-phones which ask commented: “The importance of the Kinder- them every half-hour about their location, their welten studies is not limited to generating data activity, their media use and eating habits. In that is of interest to programming and marke- certain situations, the children were additional- ting experts. Rather, they are relevant for all of ly asked to photograph their environment. The society because they tell us a lot about how our times in which the device would not be used, children are growing up, what problems exist, i.e. during and school and sleeping hours, were and what needs to be changed.” meticulously documented in advance and could therefore be considered in the analysis. The researchers’ findings over the past ten Cornelia Krebs, Head of IP Deutschland’s years have included the insight that exposure Media Analysis department, says: “Our goal is to media does not curtail children’s desire for to keep getting to know children and their creative play. Quite the opposite: children take worlds better and better. Thanks to our nume- inspiration for their role- and imaginative rous studies, we keep learning new things playing from stories encountered in the media. about this exciting, complex demographic.” Apart from studies on children’s media and use behaviour, the focus has returned again and again to the parents’ role. For instance, qualita- tive basic research yielded the insight that many mothers feel overwhelmed.

The ‘MindSetKids’ study by IP Deutschland, MindShare and Super RTL shows what exactly the daily routine of Germany’s children looks like.

The survey method used for the MindSetKids study offers unprecedented insights into the daily routine of the youngest demographic. What do children do all day long? When and where do they use which media, with whom Kinderwelten logo and for how long? What do they eat, what do they spend money on and what do they play?

5 week 25 the RTL Group intranet

A new building RTL Television Editor-in-chief Peter Kloeppel has inaugurated a new building for the girl’s boarding school at the leprosy centre in Dhanbad (India). Peter Kloeppel with the children Germany - 17 June 2009

In 2007, Peter Kloeppel devoted his efforts as a Its large rehabilitation centre gives numerous RTL-Spendenmarathon mentor to the girl’s leprosy patients to learn a trade at a spinning boarding school, travelling to Dhanbad to get a and weaving factory, enabling them to escape first-hand look at the difficult situation. The the vicious cycle of poverty by eventually “Stiftung RTL – Wir helfen Kindern e.V.” foun- earning their own income. The project also dation proceeded to donate EUR 272,280 for funds two schools with over 900 pupils, most the construction of a new building with ten dor- of them children of lepers or lepers themselves. mitories, a computer room and new class rooms. Every euro donated to the RTL- Spendenmarathon telethon and the “Stiftung The students were overjoyed. All of them suffer RTL – Wir helfen Kindern e.V.” foundation goes from leprosy directly or indirectly through their to fund select children’s relief projects, without families, and have found a home at the boar- deductions. In the past 13 years, over 71 mil- ding school. In the past, life here has been very lion EUR have been raised to provide effective, cramped. Where the school desks stand by long-term relief to tens of thousands of children day, each night the sleeping mats were rolled in need. out and the girls slept crowded together on the floor.

Peter Kloeppel celebrated its completion with the 180 girls, who will now finally have decent, hygienic housing. “The new building gives the girls a welcoming home and an environment conducive to learning - so our donations are helping to give the children better starting conditions for their future,” he reports.

The Leprosy Centre in Dhanbad is committed to caring for lepers in the slums and several leper colonies of the coal-mining/industrial city and its environs, and in. This includes leprosy monitoring, for example tracking down new cases of leprosy and tuberculosis and provi- ding medical care to the new patients. At the same time the centre serves as a training cen- tre for paramedics, physical therapists, nurses aides and social workers. 6 week 25 the RTL Group intranet

Waltzing with celebrities Once more, the US network ABC will be dancing with celebrities, this time via the comedic reality entry Let’s Dance produced by FremantleMedia North America. Celebrities dancing scenes from music videos and movies United Kingdom - 16 June 2009

Like Dancing With The Stars, Let’s Dance cen- tres on celebrities learning moves on the dance floor, taking a more comedic approach, as the stars re-enact famous dancing scenes from music video and movie history, like Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing or Gene Kelly in Singin’ in the Rain. Each week, the viewers can vote on their favourite perfor- mance and decide which celebrities will reach the final show. The proceeds from the calls will go to charity.

Rob Clark, President, Worldwide Enter- Robert Webb in the UK edition of Let’s Dance tainment, “This upbeat, comedic, celebdriven family show is proving a big international suc- “We’re looking for shows that the whole family cess and future sales across the world will be can watch together,” said Julie Uribe, Senior announced shortly.” Vice President Non-scripted Formats at FremantleMedia North America. “Whizz Kids This is the first publicly announced sale of Let’s had incredible success in the U.K. with this for- Dance as part of FremantleMedia’s global for- mat, and we do believe this will be attractive to mat deal with Whizz Kids. celebrities who may have never considered unscripted TV.” The US version of the show will be co-produ- ced by FremantleMedia North America and The five episodes of FremantleMedia North Whizz Kids. Whizz Kids had already produced America’s Let’s Dance will most likely begin Let’s Dance for Comic Relief in the UK, which airing in autumn 2009. featured celebrities imitating among others dances from Pulp Fiction or Footloose. Comedy actor Robert Webb was crowned win- ner with his performance taken from . Let’s Dance for Comic Relief won its time period in the UK across all key demos and also posted BBC1’s best ratings for an entertainment series launch since May 2002.

7 week 25 the RTL Group intranet

Say “urFANtastic” A new online entertainment experience for the ultimate music fan has been launched. Logo of urFANtastic United Kingdom - 12 June 2009

Urfantastic is a new user-generated content Richard Vargas, Senior Vice President based music community which was jointly Development and Production, FMX, said: developed by FMX and All-Leo, one of the UK’s “Urfantastic is part of FremantleMedia’s leading digital communications agencies ongoing efforts to create inspiring entertain- specialising in online communities. It centres ment for audiences across all platforms. The around a community of fans that are encour- Urfantastic site is a unique forum for fans to aged to interact, compete, create their own come together to compete and share their content and above all express their devotion to creativity and devotion to their idols. It is their favourite music idols. The creation of the one of a range of new media projects online material helps fans to champion their we’re pursuing at FremantleMedia heroes, as the more activity fans undertake as we look to apply our creative around a particular artist, the higher that artist talent and production skills to will rise in the Urfantastic artist charts. cross-platform opportunities.”

Check the website Urfantastic.co.uk

Screenshot of Urfantastic.co.uk

8 week 25 the RTL Group intranet

“Digital Britain is a disappointment” On 16 June, the British government presented its Digital Britain Report. United Kingdom - 17 June 2009

In a reaction to the publication of the Digital that it raises will be closely monitored by the Britain Report, Five’s Chief Executive and industry.” Chair, Dawn Airey, said: “Digital Britain is a disappointment. After six months there is still Channel 4 is battling financing difficulties in the no deal for Channel 4. We fail to see why our current economic downturn and had proposal which offered financial security and announced layoffs and other cost-cutting enhanced Public Service Broadcast was measures. A solution to the funding gap – a rejected out of hand. Instead, a political fudge possible merger between Five and Channel 4 – is being proposed. The transparency, had been proposed by Five and RTL Group accountability, competition and state aid issues earlier this year.

Embedding television shows A new landmark initiative will allow Five’s viewers to embed episodes of their favourite television shows on their websites, social networks and blogs. United Kingdom - 18 June 2009

Five becomes the first UK broadcaster to Paul Thornton-Jones, Five's digital controller. syndicate full episodes of popular programmes “With Brightcove, Five has been able to launch for catch-up viewing on third-party websites. the ambitious catch-up online video offering in The initiative, which utilises the online video a very short amount of time, despite the platform by Brightcove, gives Five the ability to complex distribution and monetisation expand the distribution of long-form, requirements.” ad-supported video content online and will also generate additional advertising income. The syndicated player initiative employs the full range of capabilities provided by the Partner websites and Five’s own online proper- Brightcove online video platform including ties, such as Five.tv and FiveFWD, will be the deep customization of player design and func- first websites to benefit from the deal. The tionality, as well as integration with a broad set syndicated player initiative will be widely of advertising, content management and geo- available later this year to third-party websites location technologies. With the average length and to consumers who will be able to add of video content reaching 45 minutes, Five will embeddable video content to their own favou- leverage multiple cue-point targeting to place rite places on the Web. in-stream advertising in long-form online video programming. Capable of reaching more than “Five’s syndicated player initiative significantly 98 per cent of Internet users, the syndicated extends the reach of our online video program- player initiative is built on the industry-standard ming in a way that is secure, high-quality, and Flash format, which is the number-one platform generates additional advertising revenue,” said for video on the Web.

11 week 25 the RTL Group intranet

Going international In autumn, Holland’s Next Top Model enters a new round and becomes Benelux’ Next Top Model. Holland’s Next Top Model Netherlands - 15 June 2009

From September, RTL 5 will broadcast the next evolutionary stage of Holland’s Next Top Model: Benelux’ Next Top Model, in collabora- tion with the Belgian TV channel 2BE. Daphne Deckers, a former top model turned writer, will not only moderate the programme, but will also judge the contestants. The latter will be compe- ting for the “Next Top Model” title – and a much sought-after modelling contract.

As the name suggests, not only would-be models from the Netherlands can apply for Benelux’ Next Top Model. Interested young women from Belgium and Luxembourg, who are fluent in Dutch, are also invited to take part. As well as the right look, they should have the right mentality and charisma for modelling.

The last four seasons of Holland’s Next Top Model were watched by an average 750,000 viewers. The winners weren’t the only ones to go on to international modelling: thanks to the show, models such as Sanne Nijhof, Sylvia Geersen and Ananda Marchildon are now at home on the world’s catwalks and adorn the front covers of famous fashion magazines.

9 week 25 the RTL Group intranet

From Sydney to Brussels At RTL-TVI, any way to pass along the message of the need to protect our planet is a good way. Even the news presenter was called upon for “Earth Challenge”. Belgium - 18 June 2009

Last March, the journey started on the occa- sion of “Earth Hour” which was promoted by RTL-TVI and Plug RTL (as well as M6 in ) urging all of us to make a symbolic gesture on behalf of the planet by turning off the lights for one hour. RTL-TVI decided to give even more meaning to this timely event by extending it through “Earth Challenge”.

After six weeks and a long microlight aircraft flight of 14,000 kilometres from Sydney to Bangkok, the first leg of the “WWF Earth Challenge” expedition, led by presenter Michel A last check for the microlight aircrafts De Maegd and plotted by meteorologist Luc Trullemans, has been completed.

Flying over the zones judged to be “at risk” due to global warming, “Earth Challenge” went in search of the people who are bearing the brunt of environmental dangers and the effects of climatic change. The goal of the expedition: to draw the public’s attention to the climatological and ecological dangers weighing on the millions of people living in these regions. Since Monday, RTL-TVI viewers can tune into “Earth Challenge” every day at 19:35.

Flying over the Great Barrier Reef

10 week 25 the RTL Group intranet

Property development in times of crisis This summer, expert property developer Sarah Beeny returns to Channel 4 to take a definitive look at the world of property developing in Talkback Thames produced Property Snakes & Ladders. United Kingdom - 12 June 2009

Kaamelott: best French series At the 49th Monte-Carlo Television Festival, created by Prince Rainier III of Monaco, the press prize for the best French series went to Kaamelott livre VI and the award for the best foreign comedy series to Desperate Housewives. France - 12 June 2009

L’amour est dans le pré is back The fourth season of M6’s romantic prime-time docu-soap L’amour est dans le pré (The farmer wants a wife), presented by Alessandra Sublet, started on 15 June. The episode drew 900,000 viewers more than the premiere of the previous year. France - 15 June 2009

Eyewitnesses wanted The motive? Crime! – Vox is highlighting its expertise in the crime genre in June and July with an exciting campaign of high-attention posters. Germany - 15 June 2009

12 week 25 the RTL Group intranet

Romance on the farm For the first time in French-speaking Belgium, the celebrated L’amour est dans le pré will air on RTL-TVI on Sunday 21 June. Belgium - 16 June 2009

Best television network M6 received the award for “Best Television Network” at the 11th annual “Grand prix des médias CB News” in on 15 June. France - 17 June 2009

Social networks set to music Wer-kennt-wen.de partners with Musicload and IP Deutschland to offer music downloads. Germany - 18 June 2009

The grand finale After passing through five major cities in France, M6 Mobile Music Live is wrapping up the tour with a grand finale in Issy-les-Moulineaux on Saturday, 20 June. France - 18 June 2009

13 http://backstage.rtlgroup.fr http://backstage.rtlgroup.com http://backstage.rtlgroup.de

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

Editor, Design, Production RTL Group Corporate Communications and Marketing