News for young people

21 October 2010
week
42
News for young people
Why RTL II News attracts more young viewers
than its direct competitors
Germany
France
Steffen Hallaschka succeeds
Günther Jauch as presenter of
Stern TV
M6 now available
on iPad
Luxembourg
United Kingdom
Gerhard Zeiler to be honoured
by US Programme Executives
FremantleMedia acquires
majority stake in Ludia
the RTL Group intranet
week 42
21 October 2010
week
42
Cover:
Collage showing young people watching RTL II News and a comparison of audience shares
among viewers aged 14 to 29.
News for young people
Why RTL II News attracts more young viewers
than its direct competitors
Germany
France
Steffen Hallaschka succeeds
Günther Jauch as presenter of
Stern TV
M6 now available
on iPad
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the RTL Group intranet
week 42
“As little distance
as possible”
Jürgen Ohls – © RTL II / Sonja Calvert
“The news is too complicated and it’s all about
politics – and I’m not interested in that” – or,
“apart from their own concerns, today’s youth
aren’t interested in very much.” These are
commonly held prejudices, but Jürgen Ohls,
editor-in-chief of RTL II News disagrees with
them. Talking to Backstage he says: “The media
can counter the prevailing disenchantment with
politics in two ways: either you carry on doing
more of the same and present content that’s
difficult to understand – or you rejuvenate news
programmes and combine things young people
need to know with things that they want to know.”
RTL II News explicitly catered to young viewers
early on, as evidenced by its look and choice of
topics. The format has been frequently criticised
for this. “Why, for example, should we cover the
Wagner Festival when for our viewers ‘Rock am
Ring’ is much more interesting – and as far as
I’m concerned is just as relevant?” asks Ohls.
Overall, he sees news as being a tremendously
important part of the channel: “I think that television cannot just consist of entertainment. A TV
channel’s overall profile suffers without news.
It is important for young people to know what’s
happening around them. We engage viewers
who usually only rarely watch the news. This is a
journalistic challenge and is a common-sense
media policy. If there were no demand for this,
then we wouldn’t be competitive”
RTL II News is not merely competitive – a
glance at the viewer ratings shows that it is in
fact the lead show among young viewers when
compared with programmes broadcast simulta-
RTL II News covers young people’s issues.
Jürgen Ohls and Sandra Thier explain their
concept to attract rare audiences for news
programmes.
Germany - 21 October 2010
neously by competitors Das Erste (Tagesschau)
and Sat1 (Sat1 Nachrichten). In 2010, the
RTL II News have reached an average
8.6 percent of the 14 to 29 demographic –
peaking at up to 15.9 percent. Tagesschau
averages 8.2 percent in this target group and
the Sat1 Nachrichten 7.0 percent. How was this
success achieved? Says Ohls: “Our coverage
is pitched at our viewers’ level. No patronising,
no lecturing. There’s no shame if you
can’t immediately find the Gaza Strip on a
map. The studio design also follows this
approach. No desk, no barrier. As little distance
to the audience as possible.”
Sandra Thier, previously a news anchor for the
Austrian commercial broadcaster ATV Plus, has
been presenting the RTL II News since 2005.
She elaborates: “I don’t feel the news always
need to be so stiff and formal. Our approach
to news anchoring is different: my clothes and
makeup are more youthful, and I try to speak the
language of my target audience. That goes down
very well: many viewers write to tell me that this
is exactly what they like about me and that they
really enjoy the RTL II News. Of course I am also
a role model for young people and share the
responsibility for selecting and presenting
topics.”
RTL II News subjects range from current events
in politics and business to topics including
film, music, games and fashion. “We are very
transparent about this – the show’s positioning
is clear: we cover young people’s issues,” says
Ohls.
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week 42
agenda setting. Our campaigns draw attention
to various issues and it works – after all, young
people don’t walk around with blinkers on.”
Once a week, the editorial team also produces
RTL II Nachrichtenjournal which includes a
repeat of Wochen-Rap-Blick. “Here we
summarise the week’s news in an hour,” says
Ohls. “If you’ve missed something, this allows
you to catch up on seven days’ of events in just
60 minutes.” On average, 8.9 percent of the
14 to 29 demographic watches Nachrichtenjournal, and among 14 to 49-year-olds the
average rises to 9.2 percent.
Sandra Thier presents the RTL II News weekdays at 20:00
© RTL II / Stephan Pick
This is perfectly illustrated by the WochenRap-Blick, a weekly review that is rapped by
the hip-hop duo Kunstrasen. “If something is
done well, and I think Kunstrasen are doing a
great job, it lightens up the coverage a bit,”
says Ohls. “Yet there are limits, of course – for
example, if there is a tragedy in which many
people
have
died,
decency
prohibits
rapping about it.” RTL II introduced its
Wochen-Rap-Blick during the federal elections,
when Kunstrasen presented the results in rap
form. Since January, Wochen-Rap-Blick has
been an integral part of RTL II News.
The format also differs from other newscasts
in other areas. RTL II News has special ‘theme
weeks’ four or five times a year. “In November
2008, we coloured our set green for eight days
during the UN Earth Summit,” says Ohls. In
the theme weeks, various complex issues are
explained in greater detail.
The next theme week will take place in midNovember, on sustainability. Ohls: “This is clear
RTL II News is produced in Cologne. Its proximity to the other Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland
editorial teams offers good opportunities for
cooperation. Says Ohls: “Of course we share
information and ideas with our colleagues and
cooperate where it makes sense – for example,
with correspondents or foreign studios.” In doing
so it’s important for editorial teams to maintain
their own identity, he says – but this doesn’t rule
out the exploitation of synergies.
“Why should more than one team cover an event?
This frees up resources. And these should be
used to sharpen your profile,” says Ohls. “On top
of this there’s an intensive exchange between
editorial teams which is good for creativity.”
The relocation of the Mediengruppe RTL
Deutschland broadcasting centre to CologneDeutz has resulted in new technical possibilities
for the RTL II news formats as well: “We’ve long
had a modern design,” said Ohls. “We will take
our time looking at the possibilities in the new
broadcast centre and then decide how we want
to use them.”
RTL II News is the most watched news show among viewers aged 14 to 29 at the 20:00 timeslot
Source: AGF/GfK-Fernsehforschung
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Enormous interest in
prevention
Stephanie zu Guttenberg, President of child protection
association ‘Innocence in Danger’
RTL II reaches a vast audience with its many
productions – mostly young adults. Among other
things, the channel takes advantage of this to
draw attention to societal problems. The most
recent example is Tatort Internet.
Stephanie zu Guttenberg, President of the child
protection association ‘Innocence in Danger’,
presented the first episode. She says: “We have
been trying to get this topic onto television for
years – and were turned down time and again,
by public-service as well as commercial broadcasters. No one wanted to touch it. RTL II is
especially popular with young families, and
that’s the demographic we want to reach. RTL II
has shown a great deal of courage. We must not
allow ourselves to shy away from critical thinking
when child protection is at stake.”
Since the series made its debut on 7 October,
RTL II has received numerous requests from
viewers and officials at institutions who wish to
use the format Tatort Internet – Schützt endlich
unsere Kinder to build awareness and educate
the public. Teachers, police officers, educators and youth workers are interested in using
the material in their lectures and workshops.
RTL II is responding to this need for information
by producing specific working materials as the
next step in its initiative to protect minors from
sexual abuse.
In response to the enormous viewer echo
to Tatort Internet (Crime Scene: Internet)
the channel is preparing an awareness and
prevention kit.
Germany - 21 October 2010
teens should not be online without some sort of
assistance,” says its federal chairman, Klaus
Jansen. He adds: “For years now, the German
Union of Criminal Investigators has tried to get
politicians, ministries and the media to see that
we need to empower people to have a safer
online experience by sharpening their eighth
sense.”
Tatort Internet does precisely this: since going on
air with the programme, RTL II has provided extensive accompanying information on RTL2.de.
Media scientist Jo Groebel praises the channel
for taking the initiative in this important societal
issue: “Drawing attention to online child abuse is
always a balancing act for the mass media, both
in terms of content and striking the right tone.
RTL II dared to experiment by addressing the
issue with a programme that builds awareness
for the issue among demographics that haven’t
been comprehensively reached in the
past.“
The educational DVD may
now be ordered free of
charge from RTL II by
sending an e-mail request
to [email protected].
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The German Union of Criminal Investigators
(BDK) agrees that the programme meets a
need: “First of all the programme is important for
citizens. Parents finally realise that children and
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Gerhard Zeiler to be
honoured by NATPE
Gerhard Zeiler
In a press release, the National Association of
Television Programme Executives (NATPE)
stated: “During his tenure RTL Group has
impressively grown to have shareholdings in
39 television channels and 32 radio stations in
10 countries, becoming Europe’s leading family
of entertainment channels. Under Zeiler’s leadership, RTL Group has become actively involved
in worldwide content production through its
production arm, Fremantle Media. The company
currently produces more than 300 programmes
and 10,000 hours of programming yearly in
57 countries including film and series.”
Alongside with Gerhard Zeiler, Dick Ebersol,
currently the Chairman of NBC Universal Sports
& Olympics, Mary Hart, host of Entertainment
Tonight and broadcasting industry icon Regis
Philbin will receive the award on Tuesday,
25 January 2011, during the NATPE 2011
Market & Conference in Miami. “We believe that
Dick, Mary, Regis and Gerhard have remarkably shaped the global television industry on
both business and pop cultural levels, and truly
embody the spirit of the Brandon Tartikoff
Legacy Award,” said NATPE President & CEO
Rick Feldman. “Both NATPE and Lilly Tartikoff
Karatz are delighted to honor the recipients’
storied careers through this special celebration.”
In January 2011, RTL Group CEO Gerhard Zeiler
will receive the 8th annual Brandon Tartikoff
Legacy Award. He is the first non-American to
receive this prestigious award.
Luxembourg - 19 October 2010
The Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Award is named in
honor of Brandon Tartikoff, who was Programme
Executive at the US network NBC and thus
responsible for many famous international
formats such as The Cosby Show, Star Trek:
Deep Space Nine, Alf, Knight Rider, The
A-Team, Miami Vice and many more. It was
created to recognise a select group of television
professionals who exhibit extraordinary passion,
leadership, independence and vision in the
process of creating television programming.
The National Association of Television
Programme Executives (NATPE) is a global,
nonprofit organization dedicated to providing
information, marketing and meeting opportunities in television programming. NATPE
sponsors a three-day annual annual conference
in January that draws attendees from more than
65 countries worldwide.
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Steffen Hallaschka to
present Stern TV
Günther Jauch (left) and Steffen Hallaschka
Hallaschka has regularly presented the consumer show Markt on NDR since 2006, and has also
served as substitute presenter of the NDR Talk
Show since 2006. He has also presented the
ARD programme Ratgeber Technik since earlier
this year. Hallaschka began his career in radio
aged 21, joining Hessischer Rundfunk’s youth
programming in 1993. He later left to join Radio
Fritz in Berlin, and was a presenter with Radio
Eins from 2004 to 2008. Hallaschka initially
ventured into TV in 1996 when he presented
100 Grad on Deutsche Welle TV and ORB. This
was followed by a number of assignments as a
presenter for ARD’s regional broadcasters, 3Sat
and Arte, as well as for commercial channels.
Andreas Zaik, Managing Director of I&U TV
Produktion, says: “Steffen Hallaschka s a perfect
match for the Stern TV job profile. In addition to
his professional experience, he possesses a
deep journalistic curiosity, as evidenced especially in his interviews. He has a wide-ranging
interest in a lot of different topics and was
immediately able to identify with the mix of topics
covered by Stern TV.”
Günther Jauch says: “I am pleased that Steffen
Hallaschka will become my successor at Stern
TV. He is a well-known presenter with plenty of
experience and an utterly pleasant colleague. I
am sure that he will quickly manage to imprint a
style of his own and be a success with Stern TV.”
Steffen Hallaschka will take over as the
presenter of Stern TV on RTL Television from
January 2011. He succeeds Günther Jauch,
who is stepping down after 20 years as the
show’s presenter.
Germany - 21 October 2010
DCTP’s Alexander Kluge comments: “DCTP
welcomes the decision, jointly arrived at
with the programme’s producer I&U after a
careful review, of appointing Steffen Hallaschka
as Günther Jauch’s successor. In his years
with the programme, Jauch demonstrated that
programmes by independent third parties can
both enhance diversity and provide a valuable
complement and benefit for the main channel,
RTL Television. DCTP is confident that
Hallaschka will successfully continue on this
course.”
Anke Schäferkordt, CEO of RTL Television,
says: “The producer’s proposal meets with our
approval, Steffen Hallaschka is RTL Television’s
first choice as well. His work to date has
prepared him well for holding interviews and
getting to the heart of issues affecting consumers.
Not only is he likable, he is above all authentic
and keeps viewers on board even and especially
when the issues are complex. We look forward
to having Steffen on board as a new face in
RTL Television’s programming.”
Stern TV first went on the air in 1990 on
RTL Television. In 2010, the show has averaged
2.91 million viewers, or 18.3 per cent of the
14- to 49-year-old viewer market. Stern TV is
one of the independent programmes shown
under the DCTP license (Alexander Kluge and
others) as “programming by independent third
parties” in accordance with the regulations of the
Rundfunkstaatsvertrag (interstate broadcasting
treaty) to ensure diversity.
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Watch M6 on a tablet, too
The “M6 pour iPad” app is now available for free download on the App Store.
France - 20 October 2010
Developed by M6 Web, the app’s design, layout
and video quality were specifically adapted for
the Apple tablet. The “M6 pour iPad” app works
on 3G and Wifi networks and at launch will be
streaming M6 live 24/7, meaning all the station’s
programmes simultaneously on the iPad, as well
as its catch-up service M6 Replay. That means
users can watch free reruns of M6 shows, series,
news and kids programmes on the iPad in their
entirety for 7 to 15 days after they have aired.
Launched 29 September, the iPhone and iPod
Touch version of the M6 app went straight to the
Top 25. With almost 500,000 downloads, it is still
one of the top 5 free apps on the French App
Store.
The new “M6 pour iPad” app
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Transparency and Energy
M6 decks itself out with new network branding.
France - 21 October 2010
One of M6’s new logo animations
On 18 October, M6 rolled out its new ad
jingles and a new self-promotion format for its
shows. The redesign draws on the concepts
of transparency and proximity to viewers. The
flying M6 logo is meant to give an air of levity.
The TV branding was done by the View agency
and produced by Christophe Valdejo.
In an effort to ensure a uniform broadcasting
format and get ready for all digital television,
this was also the week the network switched
everything to 16:9. That way M6 is adjusting
to the new market reality: according to a
multimedia device reference study (April to
June 2010) conducted by Médiamétrie,
62 per cent of households already have 16:9
screens.
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FremantleMedia to
acquire majority stake
in Ludia
FremantleMedia acquires a further 51 per cent
in Ludia, bringing its stake in the company to
80 per cent.
United Kingdom - 19 October 2010
The deal is expected to finalise before the
end of the year subject to customary closing
conditions and Canadian regulatory approval.
Ludia’s President and Founder, Alex Thabet,
will continue in his position and the holding will
not impact any of the firm’s existing management team or third party partnerships.
Both companies have collaborated since 2008
on a diverse range of titles for leading games
consoles and PCs as well as iPhone and iPad
applications for well-known FremantleMedia
classics such as The Price is Right, Family Feud
and Press Your Luck. Ludia has also moved into
social games most recently on Facebook with
The Price is Right, and other titles are to follow.
Family Feud on PS3
“Ludia is a leading creator of video games, and
after building a successful relationship over the
last few years we are delighted to fully welcome
them into the FremantleMedia family,” says
FremantleMedia CEO Tony Cohen. “Interactive
gaming is an important way for FremantleMedia
to diversify and this will increase our expertise
and capability in this area, allowing both companies to develop even more successful consumerfacing entertainment across multiple platforms.”
The deal forms part of FremantleMedia’s ongoing
plan to broaden and diversify its business scope
through the development of new customers and
business models for entertainment in addition
to its TV business. It also builds on an existing
relationship between Ludia and FremantleMedia.
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Pakistan needs money:
RTL Belgium gets
involved
Luc Trullemans
Pakistan was struck by a large-scale natural disaster that has left 20 million people in dire straits.
What started out as a fairly commonplace flood
following monsoon rains became, in three weeks’
time, the worst natural disaster in the history of
Pakistan. In response, the Belgian family’s three
mainstays on TV, radio and the Web have set up
an aid campaign that will run from Thursday 21
to Sunday 24 October.
On RTL-TVI, a video explaining the precarious
situation of the victims as well as satellite maps
are shown at the start of the weather reports.
Each day, different videos and maps make
it possible to visualise and understand the
extent of the flooding and the gravity of the
situation. RTL Belgium is also inviting its
audience to visit the website for this initiative,
www.1212.be, where it states: “with EUR 30, you
provide a family with drinking water for a month;
with EUR 50, you provide decent lodging for a
family; with EUR 120, you provide a village with
six months’ worth of essential medications.”
RTL-TVI, Bel RTL and RTLinfo.be are mobilising
and coordinating an on-air and online fundraising
campaign for the Pakistan 12-12 consortium.
Belgium - 21 October 2010
Caritas International, Handicap International,
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans
Frontières, Oxfam-Solidarité and UNICEF
Belgium, the five humanitarian organisations
working together on the Pakistan 12-12 appeal,
are active on the ground and setting up
programmes for water, hygiene, food, health
care and security. The requirements to run their
aid programmes until the end of October 2010
have risen to EUR 12 million. So far, only one
third of this amount has been raised.
On Bel RTL, meteorologist Luc Trullemans
reviews the situation during his weather report
on Thursday 21 October at 6:55 and Friday
22 October at 8:28. An appeal for donations is
launched, and RTLinfo.be runs a banner on the
site to announce the initiative.
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“A new experience”
RTL Lëtzebuerg’s ‘iPad-Zeitung’
RTL Luxembourg’s new iPad application,
the ‘iPad –Zeitung’, is now available from
the AppStore.
Luxembourg - 15 October 2010
The iPad can now be used to watch and listen to
RTL and access various RTL services. And the
new app isn’t limited to what is already available
on RTL.lu or on the iPhone, but goes beyond
this, offering the whole range of “made in RTL”
services with more texts, more images and more
videos available free of charge. Furthermore,
the font has been adapted to favour an easy
read and its content will be constantly updated.
Tom Weber, Station Manager at RTL New Media
and responsible for the development of the
application, comments: “By creating an application tailored to the iPad, we are enhancing
our mobile offer. We are confident it will be as
successful as our app for the iPhone.”
RTL Lëtzebuerg’s iPhone app was launched
last March and within four hours became the
most-downloaded app in the country. It has been
downloaded 70,000 times to date.
“After the RTL iPhone app, which was
a phenomenal success and after HD broadcasts, Luxembourg inhabitants will have the
opportunity to consume RTL Lëtzebuerg’s
media offer on a new platform and live a new
experience” according to Alain Berwick, CEO
RTL Lëtzebuerg.
12
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the RTL Group intranet
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Models, cooks and Arabian nights
This autumn, the second seasons of Hrvatski Top Model, Jezikova juha (Kitchen
Nightmares) and the Turkish drama Binbir Gece are generating audience shares way
above 30 per cent among
viewers aged 18 to 49.
Croatia - 15 October 2010
Getting things done
The youth portal Du hast die Macht! presents dedicated young politicians in its new
online series Die Anpacker – Junge Politiker zwischen Idealismus und Tagespolitik.
Germany - 15 October 2010
TV movie about the Chilean miners
Since 5 August, Antena 3 Films, in association with Dynamo Factory, has been at work
producing a made-for-television movie about the story of the Chilean miners trapped
in the mine at San José.
Spain - 18 October 2010
One anniversary, millions of gifts
To celebrate its 10th anniversary, Mistergooddeal, the Groupe M6 subsidiary selling
household goods and appliances on the Internet, is giving away coupons with a total
worth of EUR 10 million to customers on its website.
France - 19 October 2010
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Full power on AM 828
Listeners of Radio 10 Gold can now listen to their favourite station by tuning on to the
newly allocated AM frequency 828.
Netherlands - 19 October 2010
More movement, more information
UFA.de is online in a new look following an extensive redesign.
Germany - 20 October 2010
Going live
Grundy UFA unveiled its new homepage last week, providing a compelling peek behind
the scenes of industrial series production. The website combines the advantages of
classic websites with innovative Web 2.0 features.
Germany - 21 October 2010
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People
Roel Geeraedts
Netherlands - 18 October 2010
Roel Geeraedts (37) has been appointed
RTL Nieuws’ new Middle East correspondent.
Geeraedts will take over from Conny Mus, who
died of a cardiac arrest at the age of 59 on
20 August. Conny Mus served for 20 years as
a correspondent of RTL Nieuws. Editor-in-Chief
Harm Taselaar said: ”Conny was unique and
we miss him every day. But I’m very happy that
one of our own passionate journalists will be
stepping into his shoes. I’m confident that Roel
Geeraedts, a totally committed RTL journalist, will find his own way of doing things in the
Middle East”.
Geeraedts’ comment on his appointment was:
“It’s a fantastic job and an honour to be reporting
from the Middle East for our viewers”.
It is not yet known precisely when Geeraedts will
be leaving for Jerusalem.
Roel Geeraedts
People
Paolo Rovere
France - 20 October 2010
Paolo Rovere joined the teams of Mistergooddeal.com on 30 August 2010 and has become a
member of the Ventadis Executive Committee.
Paolo Rovere, who is of Italian origin, has
15 years’ experience in marketing and trade
marketing in several large groups in the field of
high consumption products, working in innovation, marketing and sales: After five years with
the marketing department of the Ferrero Group
of France and Europe, four years in the Danone
Group and five years in different positions in the
marketing department of Procter and Gamble,
Paolo Rovere has been, since 2008, director of
a Business Unit in the Smartbox Group.
Paolo Rovere
Photo © Ventadis
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