week 41 / 9 October 2014

Germany

German TV Award 2014: RTL Group leads the pack

The Netherlands

RTL 4 celebrates 25th anniversary

Luxembourg

Film:Reviving the rebel DNA

MORE THAN A TV SHOWGogglebox is airing on RTL Group’s fl agship

French-language channels

week 41 / 9 October 2014

Luxembourg

German TV Award 2014: RTL Group leads the pack

The Netherlands

A good reason to celebrate

Luxembourg

Reviving the rebel DNA

MORE THAN A TV SHOWGogglebox is airing on RTL Group’s agship

French-language channels

CoverMontage

© Jean Brice Lemal – Patrick Robert / M6

PublisherRTL Group

45, Bd Pierre FriedenL-1543 Luxembourg

Editor, Design, ProductionRTL Group

Corporate Communications & Marketing

backstage.rtlgroup.com backstage.rtlgroup.fr backstage.rtlgroup.de

Think before you print

QUICK VIEW

“Letting viewers and listeners have their say”RTL-TVI / M6p.4–8

Big Picturep.15

Backstageis listeningp.19

SHORTNEWS

p.16

Reviving the rebel DNA RTL Group

p.13–14

German TV Award 2014: RTL Group leads

the pack RTL Group

p.9–10

A good reasonto celebrate

RTL Nederland p.11–12

PEOPLE

p.17–18

4

“LETTING VIEWERS AND

LISTENERS HAVE THEIR SAY”

Belgium / France – 2 October 2014

RTL-TVI / M6

The programme that watches people watching

television

Logo of the new programme Vu à la télé

5

Gogglebox, the latest TV phenomenon, is airing on RTL Group’s fl agship French-language channels, namely M6 in France and RTL-TVI in Belgium.

The French format is entitled Vu à la télé, and it presents a number of families from all over France (on M6) and Belgium (on RTL-TVI) fi lmed watching TV in their homes. Each week, sitting in their living room they comment on all kinds of programmes aired over the previous seven days. The show runs through the main highlights of the week’s TV, interspersed with sequences showing how members of the chosen families reacted to the various programmes they watched. Viewers are shown laughing, moved, astonished, pulling faces, protesting at the unfair elimination of a contestant from a show, sighing at something a politician says, yawning at a boring documentary, shouting with joy at a sporting result, and so on.

On the Belgian market, Vu à la télé has already found its audience. Its debut airing on 5 October 2014 gained a 27.9 percent audience share in its target demographic of shoppers aged between 18- to 54-year old (compared with an average audience of 26.6 percent for that time slot). On M6, French viewers will be introduced to Vu à la télé at 18.35 on 18 October 2014.

The show draws its inspiration from the fact that in spite of several studies conducted to fi nd out how viewers consume television, nobody really knows how TV programmes come across to people, how viewers judge the images broadcast to them every day, how they respond spontaneously to news items and whether the same televised event elicits the same emotions in everyone.

Vu à la télé is a programme that is amusing, poignant and occasionally tugs at the heart strings. It makes viewers think not only about what is on the screen, but also what is going on in the lives of the people shown watching it. More than being just a TV programme, the format’s producers believe the show reveals the role and infl uence of television in viewers’ lives.

Launched in March 2013 on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom, the show rapidly became a phenomenon in the British Isles. Its ratings have climbed steadily since the programme started airing, and its third season was screened during prime time. The fi nal episode of season three broke the show’s record ratings, attracting 3.36 million viewers and gaining an audience share of 16.6 percent among the total audience (compared with a time slot average of 1.7 million viewers and an audience share of 7.6 percent for the same demographic).

The fourth season of the format produced by Studio Lambert is currently airing on Channel 4. In the wake of such success, adaptations of the show have also aired in the United States, Canada, China, Ukraine and the Netherlands. The format is also being adapted for screening in Ireland, Portugal and Italy. The TV set is, above all, a focal point of family life, a place where family members exchange views, communicate with each other and spend their lives. They eat, talk, wind each other up, make up again and relax in front of their television. What’s shown on TV makes them switch from laughter to tears and gives them something to talk about. You are not alone in reacting the way you do: if you don’t believe us, check out the show at 19.45 every Sunday evening on RTL-TVI and at 18.35 every Saturday on M6, starting from 18 October.

Next >

Watching people watching TV on M6

Gogglebox trailer: Episode 1

© M

arie

Am

elie

Ton

du /

M6

TELEVISION, A CENTRAL PART OF EVERYONE’S LIFE

TV viewing time remains at high levels: according to Eurodata TV Worldwide, in 2013, viewers around the world watched on average 3 hours 14 minutes of television a day. This is the third highest daily viewing time ever recorded, just behind the records of 2012 and 2011.

Source: Médiamétrie

6

Wiet Bruurs, Head of External Productions at RTL Belgium spoke to Backstage about the launch of the show’s Belgian format.

Why are you broadcasting this programme? Which of the format’s strengths played a key role in making you include it in your programme schedule?It’s a classic new infotainment format that had already proved popular in other countries and is a perfect fi t for RTL in Belgium where there is a long tradition of letting viewers and listeners have their say.

How was the original British format changed to adapt it to a Belgian audience?Studio Lambert and the producers of the British version managed to come up with a successful format. The production processes involved were clear and they gave us valuable guidance about the programme’s narration. All we had to do was adapt British humour to that of our French-speaking culture here in Belgium.

Why do you think the programme is such a hit? Do you believe it will prove just as successful in Belgium?The ratings achieved by the fi rst episode were higher than the time slot average. So far only one episode has aired, so the surprise effect certainly played a role. One reason for the format’s success is that it holds up a mirror by showing viewers watching the same programmes as us and thinking the same about them…or sometimes not!

How did you choose the viewers to be shown watching TV?During castings and auditions that we’ve held over past decades, we’ve regularly come across individuals or families who adore TV, love talking about it and are able to express their views spontaneously. It was amongst these people that we started looking during our selection process. After conducting a series of tests, we decided to go with about 15 families. Footage of them (and their sofas) was then incorporated into the coverage included in the fi rst week’s broadcast. Our fi nal choice of what to include was only made when we actually put together the fi rst episode.

Was it easy to persuade them to participate?They certainly needed no persuading, but we’re still waiting to hear their response to the fi rst airing. How will they react after a day at work or popping out to the baker’s?

Why did you opt to air the show at this particular time?We opted to air the programme at 18.45, a slot for infotainment magazines, just after the news, which marks the start of prime time in Belgium. Do you also have plans for a version or special edition featuring celebrities?Not yet.

Next >

Wiet Bruurs, Head of External Productions at RTL Belgium

© R

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7

Next >

TANIA ALEXANDER,STUDIO LAMBERT’S PRODUCER OF GOGGLEBOX REPLIES

How did the Gogglebox project come about?Virtually all the episodes of a British series called The Royle Family depicted members of a family watching television in their living room. Another hit show in the United Kingdom, Harry Hill’s TV Burp, was based on humorous quips about snippets of TV programmes. We set out to merge the approaches taken by both programmes, but using ‘real people’ commenting on television from their own sofa in their own sitting room in a natural, improvised manner. I always believed it would work, provided that if it was funny, subtle and true.

Tell us a bit about the success of Gogglebox, which is now into its fourth season in the UK.The very first episode of season one attracted just over 800,000 viewers. The last episode of season 3 was watched by 3.36 million viewers. The show’s audiences have risen constantly, season by season and from one episode to the next. I think the programme’s been a hit not just because it’s highly entertaining, but also because viewers could identify with the people on screen and saw their own views reflected in what they said. Gogglebox is also an ideal way of catching up on the week’s programmes and main reports. People can watch everything they missed that week. And not only are the programme’s ratings rising steadily, reviews by TV critics have become the best adverts for Gogglebox. Even the Prime Minister has admitted watching the programme.

Is this format universal? Why might it prove successful in France?Gogglebox is often funny and sometimes even particularly touching. Another thing that makes it captivating is its ability to reflect the humour typical of a country and its society. The show will find an audience here in France for the same reasons why it proved a hit in the UK. It holds up a mirror to what we think and say in our homes in front of our TV sets. The English version draws on ‘typically British’ sentiments and humour. Its French equivalent, version Vu à la télé, will work because it will adapt to and showcase traditional French cultural markers.

Source: Press kit M6

TV AND ADVERTISERS: A WIN-WIN RELATIONSHIP

On 8 October 2014, Thinkbox released its latest Screen Life study which offers new insights for TV advertisers. The wide-ranging new research has examined how people are currently watching TV and what this means to advertisers.

The research found that TV plays a profound role within people’s homes and within the living room in particular, playing a vital role in unifying households and being a part of numerous day-to-day rituals. 98 per cent of TV viewing in the UK takes place on a TV set, with 86 per cent on a TV set in the living room.

Other key findings from the study ‘Screen Life: TV advertising everywhere’ include:• Viewers pay more attention to advertising than they think• Multi-screening in the ad break does not diminish explicit ad recall• The living room is the centre of viewing, but TV – and its advertising – has colonised new places• The longer you watch TV, the better your explicit ad recall• Young people are most likely to discuss TV advertising• Social TV campaigns are more welcome in the evening• Multi-screening during ad breaks is common• Audio in ads is a powerful way to grab attention

Source: www.thinkbox.tv

8

GOGGLEBOX AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS

Best Reality and Factual Constructed Award (BAFTA TV Award 2014)

Best Factual Entertainment Award (Broadcasting Press Guild Award 2014)

Innovation Award (Broadcasting Press Guild Award 2014)

Best Factual Entertainment Format (C21/FRAPA Format Award 2013)

Best Factual Entertainment (Televisual Bulldog Award 2014)

Nominated for a Best Entertaining Documentary Award (Grierson Award 2014)

Nominated for an Innovation Award (Edinburgh Film Festival 2014)

HOW DO YOU WATCH TELEVISION? A FEW STATISTICS ON THE BEHAVIOUR OF FRENCH VIEWERS:

Source: Mesagraph/Médiamétrie/Insee

36%consume mealsin front of their

TV set

33%watch TV in their pyjamas

22%watch TV withthe lights off

27%drink beer

60%of 18 to 24-year-olds use social networks to communicate at

the same time

18%watch TV wearing the same clothes they wore during

the day

© R

TL

9

RTL Group companies prevailed in four categories at this year’s Deutscher Fernsehpreis (German Television Award), presented on 2 October 2014. Germany – 6 October 2014

The 16th German Television Awards were presented at Cologne’s Coloneum on 2 October. The panel of eight judges chaired by writer and journalist Dr Torsten Körner honoured outstanding performances in the German TV industry in 13 categories. The award for ‘Best Series’ went to the UFA Fiction production Danni Lowinski. The fi fth and fi nal season starring Annette Frier as a ‘one-euro lawyer’ aired on Sat1 from July to September 2014.

GERMAN TV AWARD 2014: RTL GROUP LEADS THE PACK

RTL Group

RTL Group companies prevailed in four categories at the Deutscher Fernsehpreis 2014

Danni Lowinski

Next >

10

Vox won the ‘Best Entertainment’ category with the music event series Sing meinen Song – das Tauschkonzert. The judges’ commented: “It was the surprise hit of the season. The seven singers embraced the experiment wholeheartedly. This show really revolves around the music and its makers.” As many as 2.5 million viewers watched hosts Xavier Naidoo and his six musician colleagues cover versions of each other’s greatest hits.

The third award also went to Vox for Shopping Queen in the category ‘Best Docutainment’. Vox’s Chief Editor and Head of Entertainment Kai Sturm said: “With Shopping Queen, we dared to venture into new territory with the familiar daytime genre. More than 500 episodes later, we are very proud that our courage has not only been regularly rewarded by the audience, but now with the German Television Award as well.” Every Monday to Friday since January 2012, fi ve candidates set out on a quest for the perfect outfi t, which is then evaluated by the celebrated designer Guido Maria Kretschmer. The jury said: “No one delivers fashion criticism as charmingly and yet as incisively as Guido Maria Kretschmer – his comments make this ‘docutainment’ programme attractive even for people who aren’t really interested in fashion.”

The German Television Award in the ‘Best Feature’ category went to the Info Network produced format Team Wallraff – Reporter Undercover (RTL Television). “We are delighted with this TV award and the fact that our journalistic treatment of topics that are not necessarily popular has struck a chord with the audience, especially the younger viewers,” said RTL Television Editorial Manager Jan Rasmus. The RTL reporter team headed by Günter Wallraff is currently undercover to research further reports that will draw attention to social grievances and hopefully trigger some change.

Sing meinen Song – das Tauschkonzert

Shooping Queen’s Guido Maria Kretschmer Team Wallraff – Reporter Undercover

11

2 October marked the 25th anniversary of the launch of RTL 4. To celebrate this special date, RTL Nederland has prepared a series of events and initiatives throughout the month for both its viewers, advertisers and employees. The Netherlands – 6 October 2014

One of these initiatives is the launch of a “jubilee website” where visitors are welcomed with a trailer that contains excerpts of RTL 4’s fl agship programmes of the past 25 years. The step back in time continues with a series of pictures of shows and presenters who contributed to the history of the channel. Talking about history, a whole section takes visitors through the milestones of the channel starting from 1989 to date. In addition to this, there is a section containing interesting facts about RTL 4.

A GOOD REASON TO CELEBRATE RTL Nederland

RTL 4 “jubilee website” screenshot

Next >

12

The remaining sections offer a sneak preview of the other events and foreseen initiatives, such as an anniversary book, which will be available starting 25 October, and the special programmeIk Hou van RTL, based on hit quiz show Ik Hou van Holland which will air on 1 November and will see the participation of RTL 4 celebrities. On top of it all, viewers can enjoy a full month of specially made promos that contain Q&As on the most memorable moments in RTL 4’s history, brought to them by the presenters of the channel.

Through the ‘jubilee website” visitors can also access a blog, set up for the occasion. Each day they will be treated to the testimony of one of RTL’s prominent faces in front or behind the scenes, and also important media people outside of RTL. All of them share anecdotes and memories of RTL or talk about what RTL means to them and how they became an “RTLer”. The fi rst personality to kick start the blog on 2 October was RTL Nederland CEO Bert Habets who, among others, talked about how he got passionate about TV, praises the channels achievements to date and thanks the RTL Nederland teams and the viewers for their loyalty.

RTL 4 “jubilee blog” screenshot

HET VERGETEN KIND

For its 25th Anniversary RTL Nederland thought it the perfect time to give back. In fact, throughout the month of October it supports the Het Vergeten Kind foundation, which aims to fulfill the dreams of underprivileged children. With the help of Johnny de Mol and other RTL Nederland celebrities, a series of actions are organised to put a smile back on the faces of these children. The initiative culminates with a special programme, RTL 25 jaar: Het Vergeten Kind, broadcast on 27 October on RTL 4 at 20:30.

For more information on the line-up of RTL 4’s 25th anniversary visit

the “jubilee website”

13

At the Bertelsmann Management Meeting, RTL Group’s Co-CEOs Anke Schäferkordt and Guillaume de Posch closed their presentation with a video on people with a new kind of rebellious spirit, driving creativity and innovation. Luxembourg – 7 October 2014

Introducing the video at the Bertelsmann Management Meeting, RTL Group Co-CEO Guillaume de Posch said that ultimately what counts for RTL Group are three goals: “We must be the best in video, the best in content production and the best at monetising our offers.” To achieve this, he said it is sometimes necessary to “go about things with the rebel spirit from the early days of commercial television.” To show who and what he meant by this, and how much rebellion is necessary today to develop the future of television, the two Co-CEOs used the medium that RTL Group has mastered like no other: video.

The idea for the video was born as a logical next step following the RTL Group Management Congress in Amsterdam in June 2014, where RTL Group Co-CEO Anke Schäferkordt underlined that it is important to “manage schizophrenia” as margins in the core business need to be protected, while on the other hand new digital opportunities might require the mentality of those challenging the classic business models.

FILM: REVIVING THE REBEL DNA RTL Group

Screenshot from the trailer

Next >Watch the Rebels fi lm

14

Rhys Noelke, Vice President Business Development, who oversaw the production of the fi lm at RTL Group, says: “30 years ago the fi rst commercial TV channels shook the television landscape throughout Europe. They were not only new channels, but provided a cheeky and daring way of doing things in new and unorthodox ways. Nowadays, the start-up companies in the Silicon Valley share this rebellious spirit. In this fi lm, we show a mixture of people from across the Group wanting to move things and build something new in our Group.”

Three different categories of “rebels” are portrayed in the fi lm: entrepreneurial rebels like Thom Beers, CEO of FremantleMedia North America, who started his own company, Original Productions, on a budget and later became corporate CEO; the disruptors such as Mike Shehan of the recently acquired SpotXchange and BroadbandTV’s CEO Shahrzad Rafati; and creative minds – those within the Group who are constantly trying to fi nd a way of doing familiar tasks in a new way – for example by producing TV shows rather in-house than outside or looking at consumer-lead online propositions.

Overall, the fi lm presents 12 managers as a few of many, illustrating that already many within RTL Group are shaking things up and following the closing motto of the Group: more teamwork, more risk-taking and more creativity.

The fi lm was produced by RTL Creation in close collaboration with the different profi t centres.

QUOTES FROM THE VIDEO:

• CEO & Founder SpotXchange, Mike Shehan: “One thing that we do not want to become, is a big, bureaucratic, slow moving machine.”

• Manager Games and Product Innovation RTL Interactive, Michael Heise: “I think we do not feel enough pressure to really change things in a radical way.”

• Head of Content RTL Nederland, Matthias Scholten: “Taking risk is the only way to survive”

• Deputy Managing Director M6 Web, Thomas Follin: “Our industry is changing. This change will not happen tomorrow. It will probably happen in five years, but we need to prepare now for that.”

A strong season opener for RTL Klub

On 6 October 2014, the reality show Celeb vagyok, ments ki innen! ( I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here!) returned to the Hungarian fl agship channel RTL Klub. More than 1.3 million viewers tuned in to watch celeb-rities perform various trials in the jungle, attracting 37.1 per cent of 18- to 49-year-old commercial target.

16

Ta-da-da-da-da!RTL Radio France

Fifty years have already passed. On 1 October 2014, RTL Radio (France) celebrated half a century of its mythical jingle, composed by Michel Legrand in 1964. France – 3 October 2014

A month in pinkRTL Radio France

In October, RTL Radio (France) is partnering the 21st campaign for the fi ght against breast cancer organised by the charity ‘Le Cancer du Sein, Parlons-en !’. In addition to a special feature on air and online, RTL.fr hosted the ‘Estée Lauder Pink Ribbon Photo Award’ competition. France – 7 October 2014

Back in business for season twoVox

In 2015, up-and-coming entrepreneurs will once again enter Die Höhle des Löwen (Shark Tank) in a bid to win investors for their business ideas. Germany – 9 October 2014

BCE rewarded at the CSI AwardsBCE

During the CSI Awards 2014 presented at the IBC in Amsterdam, BCE won the category of “Best workfl ow/asset management/automation solution” pour its integrated TV services for RTL CBS Asia Entertainment Network. Luxembourg – 9 October 2014

SHORT NEWS 1/1

17

Robert Dube took over as Digital Executive Director of the Video-On-Demand department at RTL Interactive on 1 October 2014. The Online Video team produces Internet services under the brand name of Now for accessing video-on-demand programmes from RTL Television, Vox and RTL II channels.

Matthias Büchs, Head of Sector for Online/Mobile/Teletext and member of the Executive Board at RTL Interactive, commented: “The services from Now are a key part of Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland’s strategy of offering full video content whenever and wherever the user wishes to watch it. With Robert Dube we have gained an expert who has great knowledge of the further development of this strategically signifi cant, non-linear proposal for Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland.”

For fi ve years, Robert Dube was responsible for the project management and editing of the Maxdrome online video library. Most recently, the graduate industrial engineer was employed as a consultant for the launch of Amazon Instant Video in Germany and the UK. With the transition to RTL II, the 33 year-old is taking over from Maren Rolfes as Digital Executive Director of the department, who will be taking on new duties at Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland.

Robert Dube, Digital Executive Director of the Online Video department at RTL Interactive

Maxime André, Marketing Director, IP France

PEOPLE

MAXIMEANDRÉ

Pôle Radio RTL France – 7 October 2014

ROBERTDUBE

RTL InteractiveGermany – 3 October 2014

On 6 October 2014, Maxime André joined the Marketing Department of advertising sales house IP France as Marketing Director.

In his new position, Maxime André will report to Guillaume Astruc, Managing Director. He will be responsible for implementing the agency’s marketing strategy for the full terrestrial and digital offering of RTL Group’s French radio stations , and for coordinating the various expertise placed under his authority.

Maxime André, 35, graduated from the École Supérieure de Commerce de Paris. He began his career in October 2003 with Groupe M6, before joining Yahoo Advertising as Senior Sales in October 2005, subsequently becoming Head of Advertising Solutions.

18

Tom Zwiessler Julian Krietsch

PEOPLE

JULIAN KRIETSCH

TOM ZWIESSLER

RTL IIGermany – 7 October 2014

Julian Krietsch, 30, will take charge of all programme planning as Head of Department. Krietsch has been with the company since 2008. He has worked in controlling, and from 2010 as a department head in the programme planning unit.

Starting on October 15, 2014, Tom Zwiessler will take over the management of the Programme department at RTL II. Julian Krietsch will be in charge of planning the entire programme from now on. Andreas Bartl, Managing Director RTL II, said: “I know Tom Zwiessler as a passionate and creative programme maker who has created many long-running successes on German television. I am delighted that he will now be putting his proven expertise as a manager and producer at the service of RTL II. At the same time, with Julian Krietsch we ensure continuity and quality in our planning.”

After building successful formats like Galileo and Taff as Chief Editor and Head of Information Programming at ProSieben, Tom Zwiessler, a graduate in political science and German language and literature gained experience as a TV executive, serving as Senior Vice President for all Factual programmes at ProSiebenSat1 TV Deutschland between 2008 and 2010. The 46-year-old was most recently Managing Director of Story House Productions.

As announced on the Backstage Weekly Newsletter N° 40, the RTL Group intranet Backstage has launched a short online survey, to determine how you view and use Backstage and the Daily Newsletter and how your user

experience can be improved.

The survey, available in English, French and German, will be open until the end of this week, and all participants

will remain anonymous.

The Backstage TeamRTL Group, Luxembourg

Participatein the survey

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