26 January 2011 week 04 Passion for programming Gerhard Zeiler receives Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Award Germany Netherlands Manager Magazin portraits Boer zoekt vrouw fascinates Anke Schäferkordt Dutch viewers Germany France Sarah Connor stays Destination RTL on water a coach on X Factor shortage in Cyprus week 04 the RTL Group intranet 26 January 2011 week 04 Cover: The 2011 winners of the Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Award: Dick Ebersol, Chairman, NBC Sports; Regis Philbin, Co-host, Live! With Regis and Kelly; Mary Hart, Host, Entertainment Tonight and Gerhard Zeiler, Chief Executive Officer, RTL Group (from left to right) with Lilly Tartikoff Karatz (centre) Passion for programming Gerhard Zeiler receives Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Award 2 Germany Netherlands Manager Magazin portraits Boer zoekt vrouw fascinates Anke Schäferkordt Dutch viewers Germany France Sarah Connor stays Destination RTL on water a coach on X Factor shortage in Cyprus week 04 the RTL Group intranet “Mister TV Europe” As the first Non-American TV executive, RTL Group CEO Gerhard Zeiler has been honoured with the 8th annual Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Award. Gerhard Zeiler Luxembourg / United States - 26 January 2011 The prestigious award was presented to Gerhard “A lot of people have fallen on the sword of Zeiler by the global, non-profit programming synergy. Gerhard has avoided that by keeping association Natpe on 25 January in Miami. In his a firm hand on the overall group [while giving] introductory remarks during the awards event, the local units the authority to respond quickly Mark Kaner, President of News Corp’s Twentieth to local market conditions.” The article describes Century Fox Television Distribution, said: “I’ve his programming passion as an entire hallmark never met anybody who loves programming of his career: “Early on, his enthusiasm for more than he does and that shows in everything the kind of popular TV programming that the he does. He knows the difference between new commercial broadcasters were bringing taking his work seriously and himself seriously. to Europe was already evident.” And as The first is essential, the second is a disaster. He’s been a great friend for a long time.” In a video tribute, media entrepreneur Haim Saban said: “There is only one Mister TV Europe, and that’s Gerhard Zeiler.” Jeffrey Schlesinger, President of Warner Bros. International Television, said: “He’s easy to talk to, he says what he means. When you shake his hand you know you can take it to the bank.” Zeiler said that this award was never even in his dreams. “When I started in the 80s, we always looked at America and there was one man who stood out – Brandon Tartikoff, and it was his programming that we bought and wanted to emulate.” On 24 January, Broadcasting & Cable ran a portrait of Gerhard Zeiler, quoting Gary Marenzi, copresident of worldwide television at MGM: Mark Kaner introduced Gerhard Zeiler at the event 3 week 04 the RTL Group intranet Zeiler believed in the power of the emerging “We believe that Dick, Mary, Regis and Gerhard commercial channels, he believes in the power have remarkably shaped the global television of television in the digital age: “The philosophy industry on both business and pop cultural almost seems a natural outgrowth of the man at levels, and truly embody the spirit of the Brandon the top, who remains a true believer in the power Tartikoff Legacy Award,” said Natpe President of the medium. ‘The future of TV,’ Zeiler quips, & CEO Rick Feldman. “Both Natpe and Lilly ‘is TV.’” Tartikoff Karatz are delighted to honour the recipients’ storied careers through this special The Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Award is named in celebration.” honour of Brandon Tartikoff, a former Programme Executive at the US network NBC, who was responsible for famous shows such as The Cosby Show, Cheers, Seinfeld, Alf, Knight Rider, The A-Team, Miami Vice all of which became hit formats around the world. The award was created in 2004 to recognise innovative leaders and artistic visionaries in television who have shaped the business and inspired their colleagues. Previous recipients include creators and producers such as Anthony E. Zuiker (CSI franchise), Marc Cherry (Desperate Housewives), Dick Wolf (Law & Order), David E. Kelley (Ally McBeal), as well as TV executives such as Peter Roth, President of Warner Bros. Television, and Anne Sweeney, President of Disney ABC Television Group. Alongside Gerhard Zeiler, the 2011 Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Award honoured Dick Ebersol, currently the Chairman of NBC Universal Sports & Olympics; Mary Hart, host of Entertainment Tonight; and broadcasting industry icon Regis Philbin, widely known for hosting the US version Gerhard Zeiler being interviewed at the Natpe conference of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? on ABC from 1999 to 2002. Philbin has performed in 16,000 hours of TV – a Guiness World Record – while Brandon Tartikoff is regarded as one of Dick Ebersol was in charge of the ten most- the medium’s greatest programmers who watched TV prgrammes in the US ever. left an indelible imprint on the television industry. During his ten years as NBC’s chief programming executive (1980 to 1990), he was credited with turning around the network’s prime time ratings. His standout competitive achievement was called “the streak” – 68 straight wins in the weekly ratings race, from June 1988 to October 1989. On 27 August 1997, the man “who transformed TV in the 80’s” (New York Times) died, at 48, after a long battle with Hodgkin’s disease. Tartikoff was known not only as a professional whiz, but also as someone who brought a sense of humor and respect for the creative process to all that Meliassa Grego, Editor of Broadcasting & Cable (left), he did. interviewing Gerhard Zeiler 4 week 04 the RTL Group intranet ‘The Queen of Ratings’ Manager Magazin has published an extensive portrait paying tribute to Anke Schäferkordt’s achievements at the helm of Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland. Germany - 21 January 2011 Anke Schäferkordt read the full-length portrait in the press review section of “The stiltedness of a Business School Amazon Gerhard Zeiler, CEO of RTL Group, is completely alien to her, her gaze is sharp and gets “downright solemn”, writes the Backstage clear with something very candid in it, something magazine, when he notes that “Anke you don’t get to see all that often in this industry,” Schäferkordt is the kind of godsend that writes Manager Magazin about Schäferkordt. is very rare in the European TV landscape: In the portrait, Germany’s leading business she combines an extremely good understanding magazine praises the CEO of Mediengruppe of programming with excellent leadership RTL Deutschland as fresh and straightforward, qualities, and her business results are simply easy-going and friendly, but also determined: outstanding.” Schäferkordt emphasises that her “When she ties a knot, it stays tied.” predecessor at the top of the German family of channels gave her the necessary freedom. Not only does the portrait bear the headline “That’s how the relationship of trust could grow,” “Queen of Ratings,” Manager Magazin goes as says Schäferkordt. far as to draw on the world of comic superheroes for comparison, and refers to Schäferkordt as The magazine repeatedly emphasises the ‘Wonder Woman’ nearly throughout. “She is one business and programme successes of of a handful of women in the global economy Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland and tells of how who head a billion-dollar company,” it writes, Schäferkordt began restructuring the group three but as she herself says, she is “completely and years before the crisis hit. She is praised for her utterly bored” with “woman questions.” candidness and perspicacity, her constancy and her instincts for programming. RTL Television dominates the German TV market, writes Manager Magazin, causing competitors’ market shares to “dissolve like fizzy tablets.“ 5 week 04 the RTL Group intranet Sarah Connor stays As X Factor enters its second round on Vox, Sarah Connor will again join the search for remarkable vocal talents with that certain extra ingredient needed for stardom. Germany - 21 January 2011 Sarah Connor (30) comments on her engagement as an X Factor judge and mentor: “I really enjoyed the first season and I look forward to new talents and new challenges.” As in the first season, Connor will not only appraise the individual candidates on the panel of judges but will also coach them and get them in shape for the big stage. The mentorship will be even more intensive during Season Two of X Factor: “I’m excited to see what category I will be assigned this time. Then I’ll take a good luck at Sarah Connor my candidates’ potential and work with them on their development accordingly.” But first Germany’s best candidates need to be found, in three categories: ‘Solo vocalists aged 16 to 24’, ‘Solo vocalists 25 and over’ and ‘Vocal duos or groups’. Information on applying is posted on Vox.de, the deadline for applications is Monday, 28 February 2011. Edita Abdieski, meanwhile, has already made it: after winning the first season of X Factor on 9 November 2010, Edita is the promising new talent on the German music horizon. Right after the big finale her winning I’ve Come to Life stormed the I-Tunes and Amazon download charts, going straight to number one. Edita’s second single The Key and her long-awaited first albumOne, including a duet with global star Ricky Martin, are due out in March. “The music is very danceable, just what I wanted,” says Edita. “It’s very important to me that the songs correspond to my ideas, and that took time.” Edita Abdieski was voted Germany’s firstX Fac- tor winner on 9 November 2010, scoring 74.1 per cent of the viewers’ telephone votes.