3 November 2011

week 44

Big ambitions How Jérôme Fouqueray achieved best ratings ever with Fun Radio in 2011 and gears up to expand into new markets

The Netherlands Belgium Excellent start for brand A very gratifying year new digital channel RTL Crime for RTL-TVI-news-team United Kingdom United Kingdom Steven Spielberg loves Radio Luxembourg musical The X Factor comedy premieres in London

the RTL Group intranet week 44

Cover: Jérôme Fouqueray, Managing Director of Fun Radio and RTL2

2 the RTL Group intranet week 44

“Fun Radio is growing steadily” After several years of audiences down on heyday ratings from 2005, Fun Radio is now poised to crown 2011 with success, reflected by its ranking as the second most popular music radio station in France. Managing Director Jérôme Fouqueray explains the strategy that enabled Fun Radio’s remarkable recovery and reveals his new plans for the station. France - 3 November 2011

Fun Radio has concluded major partnerships with the biggest names in music

For several years now, traditional music radio The success of Fun Radio is first and stations have faced a two fold threat. Firstly, foremost the story of a brand that has succeeded the volume of radio advertising has been on in reinventing itself, shaping itself around a a steady downward slide owing to very fierce music position that is clear, unique, powerful competition from the Internet. And secondly, and perfectly in tune with current aspirations. music stations’ boat has been seriously rocked This spot-on positioning is above all the result by the emergence of new modes of music of efforts to completely overhaul the station’s consumption. Yet it is against this challenging programme schedule that date back as far as backdrop that Fun Radio is set to achieve its 2007, when Jérôme Fouqueray brought his best ever ratings in 2011. former experience from NRJ and M6 to his job as Fun Radio’s new General Manager. Now hot on the heels of the historical market leader, this year for the first time ever Fun Radio, To redefine an image that had become fogged the radio station with the dance-floor sound, and to win over new listeners, the radio station crossed the symbolic threshold of 4 million proceeded to invest very heavily in marketing in listeners per day, an increase of 1,020,000 a bid to get on the same wave length as young listeners since 2005. In regional ratings, Fun listeners with respect to their values and tastes in Radio ranks as either the leading or second music. These efforts led to the adoption of both most popular radio station in 44 towns and cities a new music position and the signature slogan throughout France, now leading NRJ in most “the dance-floor sound” early in 2008. Four years major urban centres in France as well as in down the line, Fun Radio has become the most Belgium’s French-speaking Community. modern brand on the radio scene, a pulsating

3 the RTL Group intranet week 44

The third edition of Starfloor will take place on 26 November 2011 in Paris-Bercy presence that elicits a passionate, committed experience that is both unique and perfectly responsefrom its young target audience, as in keeping with Fun Radio’s positive values. reflected in the mounting popularity of the Starfloor is a massive hit with the public, having brand’s new digital media and its presence on sold out nearly a month in advance. In economic social networks. terms, the commercial partners and the revenue generated by the sale of licensed products Over the past four years, Fun Radio has enable Fun Radio to post a decent profit. concluded major partnerships with the biggest names in music, including The Black Eyed On the other hand, Fun Radio is deeply Peas, Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, LMFAO and committed to digital technology with a view David Guetta. These partnerships take the form to enlarging its audience and establishing a of exclusive marketing campaigns, use of their permanent link with its listeners, 24 hours a images for advertising campaigns and support day seven days a week, regardless of how its for concerts or tours. Signing such partnership programmes are broadcast or received: onair, deals plays a determining role in strongly and online or ondemand. In fact, Fun Radio has unmistakably delivering on the musical promise derived maximum benefits from the rapid spread associated with Fun Radio and in guaranteeing of digital technology, being quick to deploy its that its brand shines brightly in the minds of the brand on all new audio media: portable players, public and secures its listeners’ loyalty. smartphones, computers and TV sets with an Internet connection. To renovate the Fun Radio brand and create a better vehicle for its values, the radio station By so doing it has achieved spectacular results: forayed into staging major music events, the Fun Radio website has been the second most Starfloor being the most representative of this popular music radio station website in France new activity. Coproduced by Fun Radio and since January 2011, with 5 million visits and M6, the first Starfloor took place in 2009. The as many as 800,000 unique visitors per month. third will take place on Saturday, 26 November This excellent performance was enabled by the in France’s largest venue, Paris-Bercy, and it launch of the Playfun music streaming portal will feature the best French DJs and the very (www.playfun.fr) on I-Phones and smartphones biggest stars. 17,000 people are expected to and the fact that the free Fun Radio app was attend the concert, which will be broadcast live downloaded over 2 million times in just a few on Fun Radio and simultaneously on the DTT days. All in all, new media currently represent channel W9. Starfloorwill give the radio station’s nearly 15 per cent of Fun Radio’s total audience, listeners a chance to share – live – a powerful with more than 500,000 listeners a day. And on

4 the RTL Group intranet week 44

Fun Radio on I-Phone and I-Pad social networks, Fun Radio is establishing itself as the absolute leader on Facebook, with no fewer than 1,040,000 fans.

In 2012 and over the years to come, Fun Radio certainly intends to continue developing fresh sources of revenue by identifying the most profi table sectors and teaming up with the best possible partners. Accordingly, the radio station was very happy to see the effective launch at the start of September of the Bemix online banking project for young people under 25 years of age, the fruit of a very close partnership with Crédit The BEMIX banking card Mutuel, one of France’s biggest banks. The target of this key partnership is to see 100,000 active Bemix accounts created within two years.

“Fun Radio is growing steadily. We now want to see the brand develop beyond Paris and outside France and fi ght its corner in the battle now commencing between the leading radio brands aimed at young listeners”, says Jérôme Fouqueray. “The fi rst phase began three years ago when Fun Radio shored up its presence in all French overseas territories. Now we are working hard to fi nd top partners to develop its presence in Europe, in the Americas and why not in Asia”, he concludes.

5 the RTL Group intranet week 44

A remarkable debut for RTL Crime RTL Crime, the brand new Dutch channel launched in September 2011, attracted an incredible 2.9 million unique viewers in October 2011. CSI The Netherlands - 3 November 2011

October 2011 was an excellent month for RTL Crime, the most recent addition to RTL Nederland’s family of channels. The digital theme channel launched on 1 September 2011 has grown its viewership continuously and in October 2011 nearly reached the three million mark, with 2.9 million unique viewers in its target group of viewers aged 6 and older.

In the core target group of viewers aged 20 to 49, the figure was 1.4 million. RTL Crime ranks second among the country’s 41 digital channels, Piet Römer from Dutch series Baantjer right behind football channel Eredivisie 1, which was available for free on some days during the month.

The most-watched series on RTL Crime are 24, Dutch series Baantjer and the CSI franchises. These largely contributed to this remarkable result, as well as the fact that the channel was named October’s ‘Channel of the Month‘ by the provider Ziggo.

RTL Crime’s programme line-up includes top crime series from the Netherlands as well as international productions. Additionally, documentaries tell viewers the true story behind high-profile criminal cases. Starting November, the theme channel will also broadcast the German hit series Alarm für Cobra 11.

6 the RTL Group intranet week 44

A story of dignity and compassion The Laconia, a Teamworx and Talkback Thames production, premiered on ARD on 2 and 3 November 2011. Ken Duken and Franka Potente Germany / United Kingdom - 2 November 2011

The events surrounding the torpedo attack on the Laconia, a British troops transporter, and the ensuing rescue operation by a German U-Boot are among the more remarkable episodes of the Second World War. ARD’s flagship channel aired the two-part miniseries The Laconia, a story of human dignity and integrity, at 20:15 on Wednesday 2 November and Thursday 3 November 2011.

Directed by Uwe Janson based on a screenplay by Alan Bleasdale, the drama reconstructs the events surrounding the rescue operation mounted on the high seas by Captain Hartenstein, which saved the lives of 1120 people. Its star-studded cast includes Ken Duken, Franka Potente, Andrew Buchan, Matthias Koeberlin, Jacob Matschenz and Frederick Lau in leading roles.

The Laconia was very successfully broadcast in England by BBC2 on 6 and 7 January 2011. Nearly three million viewers watched each of the two parts. With a market share of 11.8 per cent, the production was 55 per cent above BBC2’s prime-time average.

The Laconia is a Teamworx and Talkback Thames production, in co-production with ARD Degeto, SWR, BBC and EOS Entertainment, sponsored by European Union’s Media Programme. The films differ considerably in the countries in which they are aired.

7 the RTL Group intranet week 44

Spielberg loves The X Factor The legendary Hollywood director, Steven Spielberg explains how he became addicted to the talent show The X Factor while filming in the UK last year. United Kingdom - 3 November 2011

In an interview with Empire magazine, the Oscar-winning director said: “My family became completely infatuated with The X Factor. We watched it all the time.” Famous for films like Jaws and Schindler’s List, Spielberg, whose latest movie The Adventures of Tintin is now in cinemas, continued: “I wanted to go to sleep because I was shooting but I’d wind up watching instead of sleeping. I became a sappy devotee.” Steven Spielberg © Retna Spielberg, 64, explained how amazed he was at the way Simon Cowell treated American contestants when he was a judge on American Idol: “I couldn’t believe how nice Cowell was to his fellow Brits and how horrendous he had been to all the Americans.”

The X Factor, a FremantleMedia production, is currently being broadcast in the UK in its eight season. The talent show is one of the most-watched entertainment programmes in the UK, and has been rated the number one Entertainment Show in the UK for the past 3 years. In 2010, it achieved record audiences of 20.2 million, which corresponds to 60 per cent of the country’s TV audience. Season one of an American version of the show premiered on 21 September 2011.

8 the RTL Group intranet week 44

The news leader in 2011 The RTL-TVI-news team looks back on a very gratifying year in 2011. Belgium - 31 October 2011

The RTL-TVI-news team

Political crisis, the dismantling of the Finally, with an average 456,000 viewers, Franco-Belgian bank Dexia, state reform – 2011 the 19:50 news shows are also doing well. was a particularly busy year for news in Belgium. Since their start in September, they have even exceeded the ratings of the La Une JT 19h30 At a press lunch end of October, the bulletin 32 times (out of 52). RTL-TVI-news team stated their audience results. With a market share of 44.2 per cent Laurent Haulotte, News Director at RTL-TVI, among viewers aged 4 and over since the notes that the channel “is moving ahead of beginning of the year (compared to 24.1 per RTBF in all areas, including the special editions.” cent for the news bulletin La Une from public To mark the commemoration of the September broadcaster and competitor RTBF), RTL-TVI’s 11 attacks, a special documentary gave the Le Journal de 13h has established itself as leading TV channel in Belgium’s French the reference lunchtime news programme. In community, a 30-per cent market share against September 2011, an average difference 18 per cent for La Une’s coverage. of 150,300 viewers between the two news programmes put RTL-TVI in the lead with Very positive results for RTL-TVI, whose 325,708 viewers each lunchtime. TV news have attracted an average 961,953 viewers every day since September – nearly half Le Journal de 19h for its part has attracted the population of French-speaking Belgium. 46.3 per cent (compared to 30.9 per cent for the JT 19:30 show of La Une) of the market since the beginning of the year. Not surprisingly, since September the news programme has occupied the leading position every day with an average of 636,245 viewers – a market share of 45.3 per cent. The 19:00 news is outperforming the La Une bulletin JT 19h30 more than ever, with the result that the gap between RTL-TVI and its competitor is wider than it has been since 1997.

9 the RTL Group intranet week 44

The legend is back on stage Radio Luxembourg has now its musical comedy. Battle of the Giants – The Rock n Pop Years premiered in London on 2 November 2011. Flyer of the Battle of Giants – The Rock n Pop Years United Kingdom - 2 November 2011

Written by Todd Slaughter, Elvis Presley Fan Club and formally Editor of 208 Club Magazine, and former Radio Luxembourg presenters Tony Prince and Paul Burnett, Battle of the Giants – The Rock n Pop Years is an interactive audience participation show with visitors choosing the win- ning act from each performance.

Based on Battle of the Giants, one of the most listened to radio programmes on Radio Luxembourg, the musical comedy pays tribute to the radio show on stage with a cast of young singers, actors, dancers and musicians. Performers recreate the hits of the time, in their own style, from Elvis, the Beatles, The Four Seasons, Brenda Lee and Cilla Black, with dozens of other golden classics from the period.

With on screen motion graphics, news vignette spurts to emphasise the time-frame, Golden Oldie reunion: Back row from left: Paul Burnett and Tony Prince jingles and guest voice-overs from legendary Radio Luxembourg presenters, Battle of the Giants –The Rock n Pop Years premiered at the Shaw Theatre in London on 2 November. As from February 2012, the show will tour in various theatres across the United-Kingdom.

Radio Luxembourg – also known as Luxembourg 208 or Luxy – enjoyed great popularity in the United-Kingdom. When it was moved, from a Long Wave Frequency to the famous 208 metre medium-wave band in 1951, its British audience began to grow and millions of British can still remember today listening to 208 on a transistor radio under their bed covers.

10

A 20 – year success story Grundy UFA, the German market leader for serial fictional entertainment, celebrated its 20-year success story with a gala in Berlin. (Photo: Managing Director Rainer Wemcken and actress Miriam Lahnstein) the RTL Group intranet week 44

An incredible debut M6 talent show La France a un Incroyable Talent returned to television for an all-new Season 6. The first two episodes were a huge hit with audiences. France - 28 October 2011

Welcome to the family The latest stand-up routine performed by Michael Mittermeier, founding father of hyperactive comedy, made its TV debut on RTL Television. Germany - 28 October 2011

More predictions, more clics RTL.fr launched a revamped RTL Astro, its thematic website dedicated to astrology. France - 28 October 2011

Barrier-free TV On 1 November 2011, Vox launched a new subtitling offer for hearing impaired viewers. Germany - 31 October 2011

12 the RTL Group intranet week 44

The app to dance RTL Digital in the Netherlands launched an application for the RTL 5 talent show So You Think You Can Dance. The Netherlands - 31 October 2011

Offering Rihanna to its listeners Since 31 October until 4 November 2011, Radio Contact listeners get a chance to win VIP treatment to Rihanna’s concert at the Sportpaleis in Antwerp. Belgium - 2 November 2011

JAM FM Berlin switches to RTL Radiovermarktung for airtime sales Since 1 November, regional airtime sales for the Berlin radio station 93.6 JAM FM Berlin are marketed by RTL Radiovermarktung. Germany - 3 November 2011

Nico Hofmann elected “Man of the Year” Last Monday, the men’s style magazine GQ (Gentlemen’s Quarterly) announced the “GQ Men of the Year” within the framework of an exclusive gala in Berlin. Nico Hofmann, CEO and Producer of Teamworx, won one of the coveted awards in the category “Television.” Germany - 3 November 2011

13 the RTL Group intranet week 44

People Leon Kramer The Netherlands - 28 October 2011

Leon Kramer is appointed Manager of the Dutch dating website Pepper with effect since 1 November 2011.

In addition to developing the marketing strategy, Kramer, 44, is also responsible for establishing new commercial opportunities. Nicolas Eglau, Director RTL Ventures, says: “Leon has many years of experience in online consumer marketing. He has extensive knowledge of customer relations and a great Leon Kramer capacity to think ‘outside the box‘. His previous experience with Telegraaf Media Groep and Beslist.nl is of great value to Pepper. We are very happy about Leon’s arrival!”

Leon Kramer comments: “The experience that I have built over the years in consumer marketing will be very useful for this position. My expertise in this area will surely help in successfully bringing singles together. I am delighted to be joining the Pepper team and to have this chance to further increase the role of Pepper in the dating world.”

Kramer started his career in 1993 as product manager at ECI, where he was in charge of books and records. Later he held various functions in on- and offline consumer marketing at Orange, Telegraaf Media Groep, and Telecombination International. At the beginning of 2011 he was named commercial director of the shopping website Beslist.nl.

14 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