week 35 - RTL Group · significantly lower advertising revenue • Despite considerably lower TV advertising revenue, Groupe M6 increased its EBITA 3.7 per cent, driven by significantly

week 35

26 August 2009

Germany

Covering the German elections

United States

America’s Got Talentheading to Vegas

United Kingdom

Five enters Canvaspartnership

Netherlands

RTL Nederland launchesdigital channel

plus all the

major news

from the last

four weeks

week 35

26 August 2009

Interim results 2009Strong ratings despite significant cost reduction

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Interim resultsStrong ratings despite significant cost red

COVER:Interim Results 2009

the RTL Group intranetweek 35

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Luxembourg - 26 August 2009

How did RTL Group hold up so far in thesedifficult economic times?

The first half of 2009 was heavily impacted bythe weak state of the advertising markets.Everywhere in Europe, we faced the samepicture: during the first six months of the year,the TV advertising markets were down by atleast 10 per cent, in some countries evenabove 20 per cent. In short: we operated in atough economic environment? and the resultsreflect that.

Having said that, I also want to make clear thatRTL Group is a healthy company. We have adouble-digit operating profit margin, and thisdespite the economic downturn and significantspecial items which impacted our EBITA in thefirst half of 2009. We are cash generative anddebt free. And we have a broad-based portfolio

with TV, radio, production and diversificationbusinesses, which gives us the ability toovercome the current market downturnsuccessfully. Despite the net loss in the firsthalf of the year, we are confident that we willhave a positive net result for the full year 2009.

What about the audience performance in thefirst six months of 2009?

From an audience ratings perspective, we havehad an excellent first half year. Despitesignificant programme cost savings, RTLGroup’s families of channels in the majormarkets Germany, France, the Netherlands andBelgium all achieved higher audience shares.Especially our market-leading flagshipchannels RTL Television in Germany, RTL 4 inthe Netherlands and RTL-TVI in Belgium weresignificantly up year on year.

RTL Group delivers strong ratings despitesignificant cost reduction On 26 August, RTL Group announced its interim results to 30 June 2009. Backstageasked RTL Group CEO Gerhard Zeiler about the current status of the company.

Gerhard Zeiler


You just mentioned cost savings. Alreadyearly in the year, you talked about the needto re-calibrate the cost structure in the free-to-air broadcasting industry. Could you giveus some details on the measures taken atRTL Group?

To compensate for the advertising revenue, allof our profit centres and the Corporate Centrehave implemented varying degrees of costcutting measures. These include savings in theprogramme grid, overheads and also personnelcosts. On an underlying basis – that meansstripping out portfolio effects and restructuring-related costs – the Group’s operating cost basehas fallen EUR 198 million compared to lastyear. This represents a compensation of 68 percent of the Group’s underlying revenuedecrease – a result of a significant effort madeby all of our business units.

In Germany, France, the Netherlands and in theUK our core broadcasting operations have allmade substantial, double-digit percentagesavings of between 11 and 17 per cent inoperating costs.

Our goal is to achieve these savings whilemaintaining our leading audience marketpositions. This is very challenging, butachievable. In the first half of 2009, we alreadymanaged to significantly reduce costs whilesimultaneously increasing our audience sharein many markets.

Does this also mean that all investments areon hold for the time being?

No, not at all. Given the difficult marketenvironment, we have clear operational goals.Yes, our focus on cost savings will continue.But while we work hard to optimise theefficiency of our core business, we’ll alsofurther invest in promising new opportunities.

There are four main areas on which RTL Groupis concentrating its growth strategy: Firstly, thedevelopment of digital channels to counteraudience fragmentation. We already have anumber of profitable digital channels within ourfamilies of channels – for example W9 in Franceor the German pay channels RTL Crime, RTLLiving and Passion. More will come – RTLNederland has just announced the launch of itsnew digital channel RTL Lounge in October.

Secondly, new online video and catch-up TVservices. Professional TV content is a majorgrowth driver of the internet. In total, RTLGroup’s online platforms across Europeregistered more than 470 million video streams,which delivered professionally producedcontent to our viewers – an increase of 97 percent compared to the first half of 2008. So wewill continue to invest in our online videoplatforms, making them also available on TVscreens and on mobile phones. In Germany, wejust launched a new catch-up TV service for ourVox channel. And M6 Replay is alreadyexpected to break even in 2009.

Thirdly, we are extending our online portfolio byincreasing scale and quality. For example, wecontinue to grow Wer-kennt-wen.de, which hasbecome the number one social network inGermany. In France, M6 Web has successfullyintegrated the Cyréalis group. As a result, thenumber of unique users per month grew by 70per cent to 12 million, compared to a year ago.

And finally an expansion in our contentactivities, through a mix of acquisitions, suchas Original Productions, and through organicgrowth such as the recently announcedopening of an office in India.

In a nutshell: despite the tough economicclimate we will continue to explore and securefuture growth opportunities for RTL Group.

What is your outlook for the rest of 2009?

Given the very low visibility it is not possible togive clear full-year guidance. However, we arenot expecting a significant change for thesecond half of 2009. Therefore it has to beexpected that the profitability level will beconsiderably down compared to 2008, as wealready announced in March at our 2008 resultspresentation.

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• Reported Group revenue down 9.6 per centto EUR 2,588 million as TV advertisingmarkets across Europe declined by double-digit rates; RTL Group’s investments incontent production and diversificationbusinesses helped to better balance itsfinancial position

• Reported EBITA down 36.7 per cent toEUR 318 million due too lower profit contributions from most profit

centres,o higher start-up losses (EUR 35 million)

which mainly resulted from the first-timefull consolidation of Alpha Media Group inGreece, and

o significant one-time charges includingrestructuring costs in the UK, Germanyand Greece totalling EUR 20 million and asignificant programme write-down at Fiveamounting to EUR 22 million

• Reported EBITA margin of 12.3 per cent(2008: 17.5 per cent)

• Net loss attributable to RTL Groupshareholders of EUR 105 million mainly dueto goodwill impairments for Five Group inthe UK and Alpha Media Group in Greece

• Net cash from operating activities ofEUR 237 million resulting in an operatingcash conversion of 98 per cent

• Outlook for 2009 remains unchanged:RTL Group currently sees no significantchange to the European TV advertisingmarket conditions in the second half of2009, therefore it has to be expected thatthe profitability level will be considerablydown compared to 2008, as alreadyannounced

• Since the fourth quarter of 2008, RTL Grouphas placed a strong focus on cost cutting inresponse to the substantial slowdown inadvertising bookings: on a constant scopebasis, excluding restructuring costs andother one-off effects, operating costs fellEUR 198 million compared to the first half of2008

• Many operations have already reduced theircosts by more than 10 per cent in the coreTV business in the reporting period:o Germany – RTL Television, Vox, N-TV:

EUR 97 million (minus 15 per cent)o France – M6 main channel:

EUR 48 million (minus 17 per cent)o The Netherlands – RTL 4, 5, 7, 8:

EUR 17 million (minus 11 per cent)o UK – Five Group:

EUR 22 million (minus 13 per cent)

• Despite significant programme cost savings,RTL Group’s families of channels in themajor markets Germany, France, theNetherlands and Belgium all achieved higheraudience shares; the Group’s market-leadingflagship channels RTL Television (Germany),RTL 4 (the Netherlands) and RTL-TVI(Belgium) were significantly up year on year

• Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland increasedits clear audience leadership over maincompetitor ProSiebenSat1 to 4.5 percentage

points. However, EBITA of the German profitcentre down 25.5 per cent due tosignificantly lower advertising revenue

• Despite considerably lower TV advertisingrevenue, Groupe M6 increased its EBITA3.7 per cent, driven by significantly lowerprogramme costs at the M6 main channeland higher profit contributions from its digitalchannels and diversification activities

• Worldwide production arm FremantleMediacontinues to produce the most watchedentertainment shows in key markets such asthe US, the UK and Germany; EBITA down10.3 per cent mainly due to general pressureon profit margins

• With the UK TV market strongly affected bythe economic downturn, Five Groupregistered an operating loss of EUR 19million, excluding a significant programmewrite-down of EUR 22 million andrestructuring charges of EUR 8 million

• Newly acquired Alpha Media Group initiatedcomprehensive restructuring and costreduction measures in reaction to thesubstantial downturn of the Greek market;despite these savings, Alpha TV’s audienceshare increased each month from January toJune 2009, proving that the newprogramming strategy is working

Steady increase in cost savings combined with strong audience ratings

RTL Group Results


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• In total, RTL Group’s online platformsacross Europe registered more than 470million video streams, which deliveredprofessionally produced content to ourviewers – an increase of 97 per centcompared to the first half of 2008

• On-going improvement and extensions ofRTL Group’s popular catch-up TV serviceso Selected programmes from M6 Replay

and RTL Now are now available onmobile phones

o Launch of Vox Now in Germanyo RTL Gemist will soon be available on TV

screens in the Netherlands

• RTL Interactive acquired the remainingshares of Wer-kennt-wen.de;with 6.6 million members at the end ofJune 2009, and 6.21 million unique usersper month, the site has become theleading social network in Germany

• RTL Group is investing in High DefinitionTV (HDTV) services in Germany,the Netherlands and France

• In a unique extension of the Idols brand,FremantleMedia created a TV programme-based attraction, The American IdolExperience, at Walt Disney World Resort,Florida. Since opening in February 2009,the attraction has drawn over 5,000visitors daily

• In February 2009, FremantleMediaacquired a 75 per cent stake in OriginalProductions, the US-based creator of hitTV shows such as Ice Road Truckers

RTL Group’s corporate strategy remains in place – further investments in contentproduction, digital activities and diversification businesses


M6 publishesfinancial resultsRevenues decreased slightly (by 4.3 per cent),while EBITA remained stable (up 0.9 per cent).France - 29 July 2009

In the first half of 2009, Groupe M6 recordedconsolidated revenues of EUR 678.3 million.This represented a slight decline of 4.3 percent, reflecting the group’s resilience in adeteriorating economic environment, despite asecond quarter penalised by unfavourablebase effects.

Consolidated current operating income (EBITA)reached EUR 107.5 million, up slightly (by 0.9per cent). This was due mainly to a 23.7-percent decrease in the cost of M6 channel’sprogramming (largely the non-reinvestment inthe rights to the European footballchampionship broadcast in June 2008 –excluding the Euro 2008, programme cost wasstable), as well as to initial results of the cost-reduction plan, a stable contribution fromdiversification activities, and a strong increasein the digital channels’ earnings.

The group’s multimedia advertising revenues(M6 channel, digital channels, publishing andInternet) came to EUR 370.8 million, down 10.4per cent, whereas non-advertising revenuesamounted to EUR 307.5 million, up 4.2 percent.

TV ad spendings continued to decline duringthe first half of the year, with the market facinglow visibility, unfavourable volume and theresultant price effects. Despite the decline in itsadvertising revenue (down 14.1 per cent), thechannel M6 outperformed the overall TV adsales market. In the first six months of 2009,M6 was the only major channel that managedto withstand the rise of DTT channels,maintaining a stable audience share of 11.8 percent in the target demographic of viewers aged4 and above (noon to midnight timeslot).

Net profit stabilised at EUR 80.1 million (anincrease of 1.0 per cent), for a net margin of11.8 per cent compared to 11.2 per cent in thefirst half of 2008.

Groupe M6 emphasised that, due touncertainties in the current economicenvironment, the usual seasonal fluctuations ofits businesses, and the savings on M6’sprogramming costs implemented during thefirst six months of the year 2009, theconsolidated EBITA achieved during the firsthalf of 2009 cannot be used to as an indicatorfor the full-year level.

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M6 Headquarters in Paris


Grupo Antena 3 publishes half-year resultsThe company managed to outperform a sharply declining TV advertising market.However, profits decreased significantly.Spain - 30 July 2009

For the first six months of 2009, Grupo Antena3 reported total revenue of EUR 365 million,down by 23.4 per cent, while costs werereduced by 2.8 per cent. The operating profit(EBITDA) amounted to EUR 46 million (down69.0 per cent) and net profit fell to EUR 23million (down 71.6 per cent).

While the TV advertising market in Spaindeclined by 30 per cent, Antena 3 managed tooutperform the market, with net advertisingsales down by 25.8 per cent, and increased itsadvertising market share by 1 percentage pointto 25 per cent. In terms of audience shares,Antena 3 managed to become market leader in

the commercial target group of viewers aged16 to 54 with an audience share of 16.1 percent, as Telecinco’s audience share haddropped by 5 percentage points to 15.4 percent.

With its digital channels Antena Neox andAntena Nova, Grupo Antena 3 still leads theSpanish DTT market. Since May 2009, thesame adverts run simultaneously on all threechannels – Antena 3, Antena Neox and AntenaNova. Accordingly, airtime sales are bundledfor the three channels, thus Grupo Antena 3was the only player to monetise audienceshares in the digital segment.

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Move postponed againAfter the move was scheduled to start in September following several delays, thedate has been moved back again due to a number of problems with the projectpartners.Germany - 29 July 2009

The delay has been caused by the slowprogress of the construction under thesupervision of Hochtief, the general contractor.The schedule was tight to begin with, says thecompany, and it was impossible to rule outdelays for technical or construction reasons.However, the delays have now taken on adimension that is unacceptable forMediengruppe RTL Deutschland.

As things stand today, it looks like the movewon’t take place until 2010, and it will takeabout 6 months for all companies in the Groupto complete the move. The estimates are vaguebecause the remaining work and removal ofdefects also need to be carried out by thirdparties for risk and warranty reasons.


ExtensiveElection CoverageAs the German parliamentary election campaignheats up, RTL Television presents electionspecials and cooperates with Stern magazine. Germany - 2 August 2009

On 10 August, Peter Kloeppel presented theresidents of RTL Television’s Election Street(Berger Straße) in Frankfurt, who representedthe concerns and wishes of people all overGermany. On a street three kilometres long, in458 houses of all shapes and sizes, 6000people live together. First-time voters, youngand old, rich and poor, immigrants, new andveteran Frankfurters. “We’re attempting across-section of Germany in this street. Wewant to use these selected residents as a casein point for explaining the important politicalissues, in the process holding up a kind ofmirror to our viewers,” explains RTL Television’sEditor-in-chief Peter Kloeppel. Throughout RTLTelevision’s election coverage, right through tothe Bundestag parliamentary elections,individual residents of the Election Street willbe surveyed on the latest political issues.

And RTL Television has another electioninnovation for its viewers: also on 10 August,RTL Aktuell Weekend anchor Lothar Kellerjoined Peter Kloeppel on the RTL Election Busin RTL’s Election Street for the first time. Aselection reporter, Keller will be travelling acrossGermany in this bus until the Bundestagelections, to capture the people’s voices andmoods. “We will tackle the issues that play arole in the election, and we will discuss them onthe spot with those who are affected by them–citizens and politicians alike. Naturally, there isa considerable focus on what people areworried about in the financial and economicdownturn,” says Keller. Whether fear for one’s

job or of tax increases, matters of education,health reform or environmental policy: RTLelection reporters will discuss a colourful mix oftopics with voters and politicians on theground.

Since 12 August, RTL Television and Sternmagazine team up to regularly present ElectionTrends 09: this involves stepping up their yearsof successful collaboration with the renownedForsa opinion-research institute, which surveys500 selected representative electors every dayuntil Election Day on 27 September.

Peter Kloeppel says: “Because it takes intoaccount the daily events and campaignappearances, opinion research at theseuniquely frequent intervals will give usmaximum precision in gauging the currentpolitical mood in the country.”

In each case the interviewees are asked theirparty preferences (the “Sunday Question”),how they rate the economy, the politicalcompetence of the parties and who they preferas Chancellor. The Forsa results are presentedevery Wednesday on the RTL Aktuell newsprogramme and on the Internet at Stern.de andRTL.de, as well as on Thursdays in Stern. Ifthere are serious shifts in voter intention a fewweeks before the election, the Forsa polls canalso be presented several times a week asneeded. Forsa CEO Manfred Güllner will alsoanalyse each week’s figures exclusively forStern.

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Peter Kloeppel


Stern Editor-in-Chief Thomas Osterkorn:“For this project, Stern and RTL Televisionare combining the strengths of theirjournalistic skills as leading print and TVmedia, supplemented by the news contentstrengths of both the Stern.de and RTL.desites.

Not quite six weeks before theparliamentary elections, RTL Television andStern will begin jointly spotlighting oneelection issue a week, highlighting the mostpressing problems as well as electoralbehaviour in Germany. Stern will provide in-depth coverage of the “hot potato” issuespresented by RTL Aktuell in its broadcasts.In addition, the political editors of Stern, ledby chief editorial member Hans-UlrichJörges, will appear as experts on RTLTelevision programmes.

RTL Television will kick off the “spotlight”election specials in its news programmesfrom 17 August, while Stern will begin theirsin Issue 35 on 20 August, focusing on thepressing issue of “Rich and Poor”.

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The Merkel/Steinmeier TV Duel -live on RTL Television

On 13 September, RTL Television, togetherwith the country’s other major broadcastersARD, ZDF, and Sat.1, will transmit the great TVduel between Angela Merkel (CDU) and theSPD chancellor candidate, Frank-WalterSteinmeier.

From 20:30, the two top politicians will answerthe questions of RTL’s chief editor PeterKloeppel, Frank Plasberg (ARD), Maybrit Illner(ZDF) and Peter Limbourg (Sat.1) on currentelection-campaign issues.

RTL Television will begin its preliminaryreporting at 20:15, to be followed with furthercoverage and initial analyses after the 90-minute TV duel, from 22:00.

Kloeppel and presenters from ARD, ZDF andSat.1 had also grilled the leading candidateAngela Merkel in a TV duel with the then-chancellor Gerhard Schröder on the mainelection issues ahead of the parliamentaryelections back in 2005.

Lothar Keller (on the left) with Peter Kloeppel on the RTL Election Bus


New formats,new discountsAt the IP Primetime in Frankfurt,Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland channelspresented their programming for the TV seasonahead, while IP Deutschland presented a newdiscount system.Germany - 19 August 2009

Each summer IP Deutschland takes its IPPrimetime event series on the road to presentthe next season’s TV programming tointerested advertising customers in fourGerman cities. This year, the tour began inFrankfurt am Main at the Palais im Zoo.

At this occasion, Martin Krapf, ManagingDirector of IP Deutschland, explainedIP Deutschland’s changed structure of offers.From now on, ‘IP-Angebot’ customersnegotiate a total volume for all IP channels –RTL, Vox, Super RTL and N-TV – allowing themto flexibly book airtime on these channels.Customers who specify a certain share perchannel in advance are given an additional‘channel-booking discount’. Agenciesnegotiate basic agreements for one year basedon a budget breakdown rather than on absolutevolume. A ‘Universe discount’ is calculatedbased on the volume placed with IP andSevenOne Media. The share placed withsmaller channels or marketing agents is notincluded in the calculation. An extra ‘Intermediadiscount’ is granted to agencies who increasethe share of TV in their media mix in 2010.“Since the new model has already been clearedwith the Cartel Office, it offers agencies andcustomers the greatest possible planning andlegal security,” said Krapf, adding that the CostPer Mille (CPM) will develop very moderatelyover the year ahead. As Martin Krapfelaborated on IP Deutschland’s strategy, he

announced a new form of measuringadvertising effectiveness. “The broadcasterbrand influences both the viewer’s experienceof the programming and the advertisingeffectiveness,” said Krapf. “We are developingan involvement index which will become animportant tool alongside CPM and ‘Cost perGross Rating Point’.”

At the beginning of the event, AnkeSchäferkordt, President of Mediengruppe RTLDeutschland and CEO of RTL Television hadgiven a summary of Mediengruppe’s currentsituation. “Our channels are at the highest levelwe’ve seen in the history of our broadcastinggroup,” said Schäferkordt. “All channelsrecorded a stable performance or actuallymade gains during in the first seven months.”She reiterated her concern that advertisersneed to stop thinking in terms of first- andsecond-league channels, an approach which isno longer in keeping with the times.Schäferkordt underscored this thesis withseveral illustrative graphics and urged thatadvertisers should look to tangible values, suchas the reach of commercial breaks, rather thanto obsolete terms.

Afterwards, RTL Interactive Managing DirectorMarc Schröder presented the strategy forMediengruppe RTL Deutschland’s onlineportfolio, which is bundled in RTL Interactive –except for N-TV.de. “We want to be the leading

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Martin Krapf presenting the new structure of offers


online destination for video,” said Schröder,summing up RTL Interactive’s strategy andaspiration. He referred to the content of theonline screenings, which this year were for thefirst time held in advance of the actualscreenings, including a detailed presentation ofRTL Interactive’s online portfolio. MatthiasBüchs, a member of the RTL Interactive Boardand Head of the Online and Mobile division,had elaborated on the extraordinaryeffectiveness of online video and theinteraction of TV and online. Paul Mudter, Headof Interactive at IP Deutschland, hadannounced that IP Deutschland would startmarketing third-party websites as well. Mudterhad also explained that the familiar system ofcommercial breaks during TV programmes canalso be used for on-demand services such asRTLnow.de, and is accepted by users.

N-TV’s Managing Director Hans Demmel wasthe first to present his channel’s programmingfor the upcoming TV season. Demmelexplained that N-TV sees itself not merely as anews channel, but as a ‘news unit’, keepingusers well informed at all times and whereverthey are, with N-TV.de and the mobile portal.The broadcaster plans to step up its prime-timeline-up of reportage and magazine formats,such as Die Superreichen (The Super-Rich),Ratgeber Hightech (High-Tech Companion), Ice

Road Truckers and Abenteuer Weltreise(Around The World Adventure).

Vox Managing Director Frank Hoffmann beganhis presentation with two questions: Are wesuccessful?, and Are we satisfied? While theanswer to the first question was a clear ‘yes’,borne out among other things by the results ofa survey, the reply to the second question wasa ‘no’. And so, the channel plans to reduce itsdaytime line-up of documentary soaps, insteadairing more magazine shows and a new talkshow called Frauenzimmer (Dames), while alsorelying more on its core competencies andtaking advantage of the credibility it has builtup among viewers. The documentary soaps willbe moved mainly to access prime time.Hoffmann also announced four new US seriesto be shown in prime time: Burn Notice, TheStrip, Leverage and Lie to Me. Finally, thechannel has several blockbusters lined up fornext season’s programming, including HarryPotter And The Philosopher’s Stone, Ocean’sEleven and 2 Fast 2 Furious.

Following a short break Claude Schmit,Managing Director of Super RTL, took the floor.“Children want to laugh, and children want tolearn,” declared Schmit. “And we provide thefull range of programming for children. Ourgenre portfolio is diverse and we’ve got more

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Hans Demmel, Martin Krapf, Frank Hoffmann, Anke Schäferkordt, Marc Schröder and Claude Schmit (from left to right)


new launches ahead than ever before.” SuperRTL is still the market leader in children’s TV,declared Schmit, who attributes this factprimarily to three series: Hannah Montana, TheSuite Life Of Zack & Cody and The Wizards ofWaverly Place. Super RTL will introduce thenew children’s format Kid Detectives in thecoming season. “That’ll expose the kids toforensic skills early on,” Schmit joked, “so theycan easily move on to Vox later.” Super RTLwants to grow its prime-time viewership in theseason ahead. In this connection, the channelis adding the new format Ross Antony – DerGeisterjäger, a new version of Upps! DiePannenshow (Funniest Home Videos) includingan attempt at a new world record, and thedocumentary Expedition durch den Körper (TheHuman Body) to its programming.

Finally, Anke Schäferkordt gave a detailedpresentation of RTL Television’s programmingand emphasised – as she had done at theprogramme presentation in July – thebroadcaster’s strong market position.

Highlights of the coming season include theever-popular US series, as well as a new seriescalled Countdown, a new season of Alarm forCobra 11, which begins in September, theTeamworx-produced two-part event miniseriesVulkan (Volcano) and the adventure flick DieJagd nach der Heiligen Lanze (The Quest ForThe Holy Lance). Viewers will also be treated tonew seasons of the show extravaganzasDeutschland sucht den Superstar (Idols) andDas Supertalent (Got Talent).

The screening was followed by a get-together,providing a chance to discuss next year’sprogramming and other topics in greater detailwith the channel bosses, an opportunity thatwas gladly taken up by numerous guests.

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Palais im Zoo


Daily news at 19:45On 7 September, M6 launches a new newsmagazine, further strengthening its accessprime time programming.France - 21 August 2009

The name really says it all: Starting7 September, M6 will broadcast its new newsmagazine Le 19:45 every day at 19:45. The newformat serves to systematically enrich andstrengthen the channel’s access prime timeprogramming. Since undergoing a fundamentalreprogramming in February 2008, the channelhas been increasingly successful withaudiences, especially with 100% Mag and Undîner presque parfait. Now a new player entersthe TV stage – Le 19:45.

And yet the new player has a familiar face: Le19:45 will be presented by Claire Barsacq. Thejournalist began her career at M6 a few yearsago as a reporter for 100% Mag before takingover as the presenter of the TV magazine ZoneInterdite in November 2008. The programme’sviewership most recently settled at around fourmillion. Barsacq will present Le 19:45 onweekdays. On the weekends she hands over toher colleague Nathalie Renoux, familiar to M6viewers since 2006 from the lunchtimemagazine Le 12:50.

Each 18-minute edition of the new newsmagazine brings viewers the latest news plusbackground information from all over the world.The Le 19:45 concept is deliberately modeled

on the successful format of the newsprogramme Six, launched in 1987, whoseweekend time slot it will take over. Like Six, thenew magazine will attract viewers with thepower of pictures, an educational slant onissues and the up-to-dateness of a daily newsformat.

In its advance publicity M6 says the new formatis an innovative coupling of the channel’s over20 years of news experience with thepossibilities opened up by the new media. Le19:45 will therefore follow the classic structureof a news magazine, both in its mix of local,national and international issues and in the wayit is presented. Items will be introduced, put incontext and explained by the presenter in thestudio before the actual film footage ofreporters and correspondents begins.

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Claire Barsacq will present Le 19:45


America’s Got Talent heading to Vegas FremantleMedia Enterprises and Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino will launch a liveversion of America’s Got Talent in Las Vegas. North America - 18 August 2009

Produced by FremantleMedia Enterprises(FME) and Simon Cowell’s Syco TV inconjunction with Planet Hollywood, America’sGot Talent Live will begin on 7 October atPlanet Hollywood’s CHI Showroom in LasVegas with shows every Wednesday throughSunday for 10 weeks.

Andy Felsher, SVP, Games, Entertainment andLive Events for FME, commented: “America’sGot Talent is ideal for a live show extension,offering fans another means of engaging withtheir favourite performers. The show offers allthe excitement of being in the TV studio inHollywood and will allow guests to get up closewith a special celebrity host. Further, America’sGot Talent Live will offer family fun for people ofall ages.”

Now in its fourth season, America’s Got Talentis one of the highest-rated television shows.Since its debut in 2006, its ratings haveregularly outpaced every other broadcast of thenight, and occasionally of the week. Thissummer, the show once again rated numberone in both overall viewers and the keydemographic of viewers aged 18 to 49.

America’s Got Talent Live underscores FME’sreputation in building brands beyond televisionand follows on the heels of similar liveextensions with The Price is Right in the USand Australia, Grand Designs in the UK, andThe American Idol Experience at Walt DisneyWorld Resort in Florida.

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America’s Got Talent


30 years of UniversumFilmThis year, Universum Film’s rooftop partyrevolved around the company’s anniversary.Germany - 24 July 2009

Numerous guests accepted Universum Film’sinvitation to its traditional annual rooftop party on16 July. This year, the festivities naturally centredon the company’s anniversary.

Founded in 1979, Universum Film initiallyconcentrated on video distribution. In 1984,Bertelsmann AG bought up the remaining sharesfrom Universum’s co-owner Büscher Film, andthe new subsidiary moved from Dusseldorf toMunich. From this point on, films were distributedunder the ‘Ufa-Video’ label. In 1987, thecompany was renamed BMG/Video UniversumFilm. Its portfolio at that time already included theclassics of German cinema, such as Der blaueEngel and Münchhausen. In the 1990s, variouscooperations, for example with Tobis Film andTelepool ensured a steady supply of high-qualitycinematic productions like The Fifth Element andApocalypse Now. Add to that an exclusivecontract with ZDF which continues to this day.The company had one of its biggest successesto date with Michael ‘Bully’ Herbig’s Karl Mayparody, Der Schuh des Manitu, which sold fourmillion DVDs and video cassettes, generatingrevenue of over 37 million EUR and pushing thecompany’s turnover past the 50-million-EURmark for the first time in 2001.

In 2003, the ‘UFA Kids’ (now ‘Universum Kids’)label was launched, under which the companycommercialises all the children’s programmes itholds the rights to. Universum Film has led themarket in the ‘Kids Non Feature’ segment since2007, with a market share of 16 per cent.

The fact that Universum Film commands theentire commercialisation chain, from cinema tovideo-on-demand, and that RTL Television oftensimultaneously acquires the TV rights, facilitates

negotiations regarding new projects, as do thecompany’s partnerships in the HomeEntertainment sector, some of which have beenongoing for many years. Universum’s enormousmarketing expertise is evidenced by films suchas Around the World in 80 Days, which weremuch more successful in Germany than in theUS market. These days, Universum Film itself isbehind several high-quality productions, such asMondbär and Prinzessin Lillifee, where thecompany contributed its family-entertainmentexpertise. Each year, it co-produces around threenew films.

Since October 2008, Universum has offeredcontent on iTunes as well: TV series first, followedby blockbusters like Pan’s Labyrinth. Just a fewweeks after their digital release, the titlesgenerated steep revenue, without muchadvertising. In 2009, viewers can look forward totitles including an updated of the Oscar-winningclassic Fame, the action thriller Gamer, thedocumentary Serengeti and the new German filmSummertime Blues.

All in all, Universum Film is well equipped for thefuture and looks forward with confidence andexcitement to the next 30 years.

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Universum Films rooftop party

Tania Reichert-Facilides, Managing Director of Universum Film(left), and the German pop star Sasha at the rooftop party


New joint business unitTalkback Thames and FremantleMedia Enterprises created a jointly controlled newbusiness unit to be named Talkback Thames Digital.United Kingdom - 28 July 2009

The new business unit will be a centre ofexcellence established to pursue digitalopportunities from existing and new contentbrands in the UK. Talkback Thames Digital willbe a stand-alone division reporting to bothTalkback Thames and FremantleMediaEnterprises (FME) UK and will be staffed frompeople within Talkback Thames and FME’s UKInteractive teams.

Its core aims will encompass to create digitalbrand extensions of Talkback Thames andFME’s key content brands and programmes,address the demand from BBC and C4 forpublic service digital content, fully integratedigital thinking into the TV developmentprocess and foster the development andcreation of new digital experiences in the UKthat can create value on a multi-platform basis.

Talkback Thames Digital will be led by RobertMarsh, currently the Head of Interactive forFME UK, reporting into Rupert Brankin-Frisby,Commercial Director, Talkback Thames andDominic Burns, SVP Licensing UK, FME.Robert and his team will be based in StephenStreet alongside some of the key UKproduction teams.

Lorraine Heggessey, CEO of Talkback Thamessaid: “Talkback Thames Digital is a vital newdevelopment for us because digital is playingan increasingly significant role and through thisventure we can focus on building our skills andbusiness in this area”.

David Ellender, CEO of FME commented: “I amexcited about the future opportunities thatdigital technology brings to our UK businessand I believe that the creation of a stand-aloneunit is the ideal way to maximise our chancesof success.”

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Canvas partnershipUK public service broadcaster Five confirmed it had become the latest partner inProject Canvas – the proposal to deliver broadband-connected television to the livingroom.United Kingdom - 31 July 2009

Five joins the BBC and ITV, as well as internetservice provider BT, in committing to theproject which will, subject to approval by theBBC Trust, create a next generation platformaugmenting the freely-available Freeview andFreesat on digital terrestrial or digital satellitetelevision.

With internet-connected TV set to be a majortechnological advance in broadcasting, Fivesees Canvas as critical to the long-term futureof subscription-free TV, as well as a significantopportunity to provide next-generationservices to viewers.

Dawn Airey, Chairman and Chief Executive ofFive, said: “Project Canvas is an important stepforward because it will extend choice andsignificantly improve the television experiencefor viewers. Its widespread adoption is centralto driving Digital Britain. It’s vital forbroadcasters and other industry stakeholdersto form partnerships such as Canvas if they’reto open up new commercial opportunities andthrive in the digital world.”


Gaming deal with MGMFremantleMedia’s gaming division and MGM Interactive agree to develop onlinecasino-style games for operators and players in select countries outside of the US.United Kingdom - 24 August 2009

Under the agreement, FM Gaming will have theexclusive right to develop its games based onhit MGM titles such as Fame, the Stargatefranchise, Robocop and the classic “SpaghettiWesterns” including A Fistful of Dollars, For AFew Dollars More and The Good, the Bad andthe Ugly.

Paul Kanareck, Head of Ventures, Fremantle-Media, says: “This deal demonstrates ourambition to become a leading publisher ofbranded games in this exciting market. MGMhave a fantastic range of movie titles that areknown and loved around the world across

generations and we’re looking forward todeveloping these into great games for onlinecasino operators and their audiences.”

Launched in September 2008, FM Gaming hasbeen created as a partnership betweenFremantleMedia Enterprises and Fremantle-Media Ventures to extend and developFremantleMedia’s activities in the global gamesmarket. FremantleMedia has licensed itsbrands across this sector for many years, but isnow taking an increasingly active role,publishing games around its own hit shows.

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New serviceUsers can now register for RTL Group’s new SMS service to ensure they stay on topof the latest important news and press releases.Luxembourg - 25 August 2009

To register, simply complete the form providedin the “Press Services – Subscribe to pressreleases” section on the RTLGroup.comhomepage. Once you have done so, you will benotified both by e-mail and by SMS as soon as

RTL Group issues a new press release. If youare already registered, simply add your mobilenumber on the form and updateyour information.

Register at

RTLGroup.com


RTL Nederland launchesRTL LoungeThe fifth channel in RTL Nederland’s portfoliowill broadcast the best Dutch and foreign dramaand lifestyle programmes 24 hours a day, sevendays a week.The Netherlands - 25 August 2009

On the occasion of RTL Nederland’sprogramme presentation on 24 August, thecompany announced the launch of the newdigital channel RTL Lounge. It will beRTL Nederland’s first special-interest channeland will target today’s young women. Initially,RTL Lounge will be available via the digitalpackages of UPC and Ziggo, but RTL Nederland is also holding talks with otherdistributors.

In addition to popular RTL programmes likeGoede Tijden, Slechte Tijden, GooischeVrouwen, RTL Travel, Nigella Bites andBouwval Gezocht, the channel will alsobroadcast exclusive programmes, includingRTL’s premiere of the Dutch telenovela Lotte,drama series like Fashion House and Desireand the travel programme Rough Guides. Inshort, RTL Lounge’s programmes will aim toinform and inspire the young women of today.

RTL Nederland CEO Bert Habets said: “RTL istracking viewers on all platforms. Digitaltelevision is becoming increasingly moreimportant. Our aim is to latch onto this trend asbest we can by offering distinctive, high-qualityprogrammes. Consequently, the launch of RTL Lounge is extremely important for ourcompany.”

The programmes broadcast on RTL Lounge willnot be interrupted by advertising and willalways begin on the hour or half hour. Thechannel will also give viewers some uniquepreviews. As from 2 October, the channel willbe available to UPC subscribers with a ‘Royaal’package and Ziggo customers with a Film &Entertainment package.

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RTL Lounge


Strong growth inTV channels anddigital offering The Dutch market leader RTL Nederland isready for the new season and is setting itssights on the future in full confidence.The Netherlands - 27 July 2009

RTL Nederland has grown into an all-roundmedia company, performing more powerfullythan ever in its core businesses of radio andtelevision and growing strongly in digital media.This makes RTL Nederland a highly effective andinnovative media partner to all of its advertisers.As RTL Nederland CEO Bert Habets points out,“We made a number of promises to the marketlast year. Firstly, enhancing our television corebusiness and maintaining our strong position inthe radio market: innovating and ensuring growthin digital; occupying a position in relevant newmarkets; and making our organisation morecustomer-oriented. One year later, I can proudlysay that we have been successful in this effort.We wish to pursue this success by continuing tooperate more cleverly, faster and more efficiently.That will allow us to continue distinguishingourselves from the competition. After all, at RTLour primary goal is for all advertiser investmentsto be as effective as possible and to truly make adifference. This is more important than ever in thecurrent economic climate.”

In the first six months of this year, RTLNederland’s television market share grew by 7per cent (to 32.6 per cent) in the Shoppers 20 to49 target group. RTL 4 also saw historic highgrowth of 2.7 per cent (to 17.3 per cent) amongShoppers aged 20 to 49 in the same period. Thecontinued success of RTL Boulevard and thelaunch of two new programmes developed in-house, BN-ers In Het Park and Ik Kom Bij JeEten, also ensured consistently high ratings in thesummer months.

As Bert Habets put it, “Thanks to the focus andcreativity of the programming teams led byErland Galjaard, Remko van Westerloo and PeterLubbers, we were able to further refine the

profiles of our channels. We invested indistinctive programmes that match those profilesperfectly. In June, our growth was topped off bythe overall highest market share in 10 years. Viaour creative unit, RTL Concepts, we canefficiently update our channels, regularly incooperation with our advertisers. Theprogramming improvements seen at all ourchannels created clarity for consumers, resultingin sharp growth in market share among ourchannels. Such growth is high in the summer. Inthe new television season, efforts will be made tobuild upon the successful course we arecurrently following, but we will also be makingupgrades, including the introduction of Let’sDance at RTL 4, Over De Kook at RTL 5 and theUEFA Europa League at RTL 7.”

RTL also saw strong growth in the digital arena.Three mobile websites were launched and RTLGemist has been successfully overhauled.Consequently, the number of unique visitors tothe RTL network (among other things) roseexplosively over the past year (up 68 per cent).The Eten Vandaag site was launched and RTLrose to the STIR top 10. In addition, the newRTL.nl site will be launched by August 24. Thesite sports an improved layout and is moreaccessible and more informative, due in part tothe use of widgets.

Talking about the future, Bert Habets said, “Weare continuing to focus on operating efficiently,investing and having the courage to change. Weare still working hard on our radio and televisionofferings, on developing our digital offering andon increasingly applying our knowledge to newmarkets of interest to consumers and therefore toour customers.”

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Bert Habets


21

Strengthening its music business with ‘it’s fun music’RTL II is pulling together its music expertise in a new business unit called “it’s funmusic”, which will be set up as a separate division under the m4e AG umbrella.Germany - 29 July 2009

First look deal with Liquid ComicsFremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) signed a first look deal with US company LiquidComics. The deal gives FME first look rights on new IP created by Liquid Comics fordevelopment through FME’s international licensing, distribution and homeentertainment operations. United Kingdom - 29 July 2009

Celebs take to the dance floor in Germany, tooGrundy Light Entertainment is producing the new dance show Yes We Can Dancewith Kai Pflaume for Sat.1.Germany - 27 July 2009

Sweeping everything in its pathThe football club Girondins de Bordeaux, which is owned by Groupe M6, opened theseason by winning the Champions Trophy after defeating En Avant de Guingamp 2-0.This competition traditionally pits the winner of the French championship against thewinner of the French Cup. France - 28 July 2009

High acceptance of advertising on Pay-TV Advertising on Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland’s niche channels is particularlyeffective thanks to the high degree of subscriber involvement with the programming,and is actually appreciated by pay-TV subscribers.Germany - 30 July 2009


New media on the riseRTL Nederland’s website RTL.nl recorded an increase in traffic during the first half of2009.The Netherlands - 30 July 2009

A new daily soap for Sat.1Grundy UFA and Phoenix Film are producing a new daily soap for Sat.1: Eine wieKeine (Like None Other; working title). The launch is scheduled for autumn 2009. Germany - 31 July 2009

The German TV market in JulyMediengruppe RTL Deutschland drew 33.6 per cent of the 14- to 49-year-old viewermarket in July 2009, putting it – as ever – well ahead of the ProSiebenSat.1 group,which scored a market share of 30.1 per cent.Germany - 4 August 2009

400,000 more viewers in prime timeIn July 2009, with a total audience share of 11.5 per cent in the strategic 12:00-24:00 time slot, M6 is the only major channel whose figures have remained stablefrom one year to the next. In prime time M6 attracted more viewers than last year.France - 4 August 2009

The latest weather news to goThe multi-award-winning weather site Wetter.de presents a new weather applicationfor iPhones and Google Phones.Germany - 4 August 2009

Up 10 per centRTL Belgium has registered its best month of July since the start of measuringaudience figures in 1997.Belgium - 5 August 2009 22


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Growing its viewershipWith a cumulative market share of 17.7 per cent in July, Grupo Antena 3 channelsgrew by one percentage point compared to the previous month. Spain - 5 August 2009

Now on TVAlready available on PC and mobile, M6’s catch-up TV service is also available ontelevision, with Orange since last January and through SFR’s neufbox TV servicesince beginning of August.France - 6 August 2009

Number one on DTTW9 is once again the DTT channel attracting the most viewers in July 2009.France - 6 August 2009

300,000 more viewers than in Season 3Season 4 of L’amour est dans le pré made it possible for M6 to systematically ratenumber one with viewers under 50 (a 27 per cent audience share) as well as withhousewives under 50 (31 per cent).France - 12 August 2009

A friend for lifeOne rich heiress looking for friendship, 85,000 candidates, 18 finalists and a single,one-of-a-kind best friend – that, in a nutshell, is the documentary show with ParisHilton which will make its debut on W9 at the beginning of September. France - 13 August 2009

RTL à l’infini – Series galoreThe users of RTL Belgium’s Video-on-Demand platform have it good indeed: they getto see Season 5 of the US series Lost before its official on-air debut.Belgium - 14 August 2009


24

A great recipeWith 201,091 recipes in its archives, Vox’s cooking portal Kochbar.de is the biggestrecipe database on the German-language Web. Germany - 17 August 2009

Be a part of Gute Zeiten – Schlechte ZeitenVox has launched a prize draw for a bit part on Germany’s most popular daily soap. Germany - 18 August 2009

Faster. Better. Brighter.Under this slogan the celeb news portal VIP.de now sports new content and featuresand a fresh new look.Germany - 19 August 2009

A fresh and eye-catching new look Following the overhaul of its on-air design and news studio, and the relaunch of theN-TV.de news portal, the broadcaster’s on-air promotion now sports a new look aswell.Germany - 20 August 2009

The X Factor’s backThe multi Bafta award winning entertainment show returns to British screens for anexplosive sixth season. The first episode attracted 9.9 million viewers, representing amarket share of 48 per cent.United Kingdom - 21 August 2009

A different take on diversificationIn a one-of-a-kind partnership, RTL Nederland, Endemol and Gall & Gall are bringinga white wine to market that was inspired by the popular series Gooische Vrouwen.The Netherlands - 21 August 2009


25

Live video streams on iPhone, tooRTL Interactive now offers direct access to RTL.de’s live Formula 1 video streamfootage with the RTL Pole Position iPhone app.Germany - 24 August 2009

England’s Ashes win means record ratings for FiveSunday’s cricket coverage brought record ratings for Five’s highlights programmeCricket on Five: 2 million viewers tuned in.United Kingdom - 25 August 2009

Take Him Out debuts as Indonesia’s number one showWith an audience peak of over 6 million and audience share of 36 per cent, Take HimOut ranked as the number one show of the week in Indonesia across all channels.Indonesia - 25 August 2009


People

New Worldwide Drama teamUnited Kingdom - 3 August 2009

Donna Wiffen has been appointed as Senior VicePresident Production and Network, WWD,FremantleMedia, reporting to Claire Tavernier,who has been promoted to Senior Executive VicePresident, WWD and FMX, FremantleMedia.Sarah Hoeflich, former writing producer forGrundy UFA, will fill the newly created senioreditorial position within the WWD team.

Gary Carter, Chief Operating Officer,FremantleMedia says: “We are thrilled to havesuch talented senior team members supportingdrama productions around FremantleMedia.We’ve made significant progress in world widedrama and comedy in recent years and I’mlooking forward to the continued success of thisnew team.”

In her new role, Donna, who had worked foryears as the Head of Drama Production forTalkback Tames and as Head of Production atEndemol, will play a key part in supporting dramaproduction and all scripted output aroundFremantleMedia’s global network, including itsworld wide drama production territories. Donnawill not be working within the FremantleMediaEnterprises (FME) drama developmentprogramme, headed up in the UK by Mark Gray,

VP Programming, and in the US by Jeff Tahler, VPAcquisitions, which also works with external,independent producers to fund and developdrama programming for the international market.Instead, Donna will focus on local drama formatsproduced within the FremantleMedia productionfamily.

Sarah Hoeflich will act as the primary point ofcontact for all head writers and developmentexecutives of FremantleMedia’s dramadevelopment network. She will also runFremantleMedia’s international developmentnetwork and will be responsible for the global rollout of drama formats developed in house.Additionally, Sarah will liaise withFremantleMedia’s Senior Vice PresidentAcquisitions, Vasha Wallace, to provide feedbackon acquisition targets from an editorialperspective.

Claire Tavernier commented on theappointments: “I’m delighted that Donna andSarah will be joining the Worldwide Drama team.These appointments will ensure that theWorldwide Drama team is best placed to supportour global businesses into the future.”

26Donna Wiffen, Claire Tavernier and Sarah Hoeflich (from left to right)


People

Marketing teamstrengthenedGermany - 5 August 2009

Jörg Nommensen is now Deputy Director Sales& Marketing at Super RTL.

Nommensen, 37, has worked for the Cologne-based media company since 2003, and isresponsible for managing the advertisingcustomer network and marketing customised

and integrated cross-media concepts as headof the Sales & Business Relations department.

In his new role as Deputy Director Sales &Marketing, the Business Administrationgraduate reports to Christoph Ahmadi, DirectorSales & Marketing.

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Jörg Nommensen

People

A new addition tothe FremantleMediaLicensing Germany teamGermany - 6 August 2009

Steffi Neuthor is the new Project Manager,Licensing & Merchandising of FremantleMediaLicensing, effective immediately. She joins themarketing team consisting of Antje Röstel,Merchandising & Licensing Manager Eastern,Central & Southern Europe and Bettina ArffLicensing & Merchandising Sales ManagerGermany. In her new position as ProjectManager, Neuthor is responsible for theindependent project management ofFremantleMedia’s TV and non-TV brands inGermany. She reports directly to Diana M.Dieckmann, Vice President Licensing,Germany, Eastern, Central & Southern Europe.

The business administration graduate hasworked in the licensing sector since 2005 forthe likes of Super RTL, Nickelodeon & ViacomConsumer Products Germany and the licensingdivision of MTV Networks GmbH, beforemoving to Paramount Home EntertainmentGmbH two years ago. Since 2006, she hascarried out many licensing collaborations, DVDreleases and cross-media marketing conceptson subjects such as SpongeBob Squarepants,Avatar, Shrek, Kung Fu Panda andMadagascar.

Steffi Neuthor


People

New Division:UFA BrandCommunicationGermany - 6 August 2009

Stefan Kastenmüller has been appointed tohead the newly created division, UFA BrandCommunication, effective 1 August 2009.

The new division’s core offering consists ofcorporate and brand communications for TV,film and the Internet in cooperation with UFAproduction companies. It caters to brand-namemanufacturers, industrial concerns as well asmedia companies and other organisations. Inaddition, the unit will be in charge of expandingUFA Cinema’s product placement and licensingactivities. It will be based in Potsdam, withanother office in Munich. The various UFAcompanies have already implemented anumber of commercial productions withadvertisers and agencies in the past, forexample, Die Erlkönigin on Floaded.com withMercedes Benz and other brands. This divisionwill eventually be expanded into a standalonebusiness.

“The new UFA Brand Communication unit issignificantly expands our portfolio to includesustainable brand communications for brand-name manufacturers and other companies,”says Wolf Bauer, CEO of UFA.

Stefan Kastenmüller brings extensiveexperience from his various senior positions atmedia and brand companies, including PhilipMorris where he was Product Manager andMTV Networks in London, where he served asHead of Marketing. Most recently, he wasDirector of Marketing and Ad Sales at JetixEurope from 2003 to 2009, serving as thecompany’s CEO since 2006. He wasresponsible for all of the entertainmentcompany’s lines of business in the German-speaking countries and sat on the localmanagement board of Walt Disney.

Wolf Bauer: “We are thrilled to have signedStefan Kastenmüller, who is renowned both inGermany and internationally, as a branding andmedia expert for the company.”

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Stefan Kastenmüller


People

FremantleMedia tolaunch productionoperations in IndiaSingapore - 14 August 2009

FremantleMedia has announced theappointment of Saurindra Kumar Barua Raj asManaging Director of FremantleMedia India.Raj will be based in Mumbai and report toPatrick Schult, FremantleMedia Asia’s CEO,who is based in Singapore. In his new position,Raj will build a new high calibre team and willwork closely with various divisions within theFremantleMedia group to leverage itsrelationships and its content in order toestablish a production operation to service theIndian market.

Patrick Schult, CEO, FremantleMedia Asia said:“We are delighted that Raj will be leading theteam to launch FremantleMedia’s on-groundproduction operations in the Indian market.India continues to be a popular destination formany of our international hit formats and withRaj’s leadership we look forward to offering ourclients a complete service from the introductionof these formats to the delivery of the finishedproduct”

Before joining FremantleMedia, Raj was VicePresident and Regional Chief Financial Officer(AsiaPac) for Discovery Asia based inSingapore.

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Saurindra Kumar Barua Raj


People

Mel Alcock appointedCEO for the EMEA regionUnited Kingdom - 20 August 2009

In his new role, Mel Alcock, who will be basedin London, will be responsible for maintainingand enhancing the performance of FME’soperations across the core current EMEAmarkets of the UK, France and Germany, whilstdeveloping growth strategies for Turkey,Greece, the Middle East and Sub-SaharanAfrican, including South Africa. He will belooking to develop FME’s distribution businessin the region, maximizing the potential of titlesfrom FremantleMedia’s own productionnetwork, along with high quality content fromthird parties. He will also continue to activelyseek wide-reaching opportunities to extend allbrands within the FME portfolio as well as newcontent acquired.

“Mel comes to FME with a variety of expertiseand experience in the media sector. We believeMel will embrace and excel in the opportunitiespresented by his new role, and work effectivelywith our other regional CEOs to successfullydrive FME forward as a highly successful andcreative business,” commented David Ellender,Global CEO, FME, to whom Mel Alcock will bedirectly reporting.

Prior to his new role, Alcock was Chief ClientOfficer at iCrossing, the UK’s number oneSearch and Social Digital Agency. This followson from his work as Senior Vice President,Commercial Affairs at Jetix Europe Ltd, andHead of Commerce for InteractiveProgramming at BSkyB Ltd.

This announcement completes a series ofregional CEO appointments for FME as it shiftstowards a more regional focus whilst leveragingits expertise across the larger FremantleMediaglobal network in order to move the businessforward across its international televisiondistribution, home entertainment, and licensingbusinesses, with a concentration on digitaltechnology and new platforms to meet thedemands of a fast-changing media andentertainment industry.

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Mel Alcock

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week 35 - RTL Group · significantly lower advertising revenue • Despite considerably lower TV advertising revenue, Groupe M6 increased its EBITA 3.7 per cent, driven by significantly