ITV

Tag: RTL Group

  • RTL Group restructures top management

    RTL Group restructures top management

    MUMBAI: There’s change at the top at RTL Group–which owns Fremantle Media and operates a clutch of 61 TV channels–including RTL CBS and RTL CBS Extreme–and 30 radio stations in Europe. At his own behest, Guillaume de Posch will step down as co-CEO of RTL Group, effective 1 January 2018. He will continue to serve as a non-executive member of RTL Group’s board.

    Bert Habets, who has been co-CEO of RTL Group since April 2017, will now lead it as the sole CEO, with overall responsibility for the strategy and day-to-day management. He joined RTL in 1999 and became CFO of RTL Nederland in 2001. As CEO of RTL Nederland (2008 to 2017), he transformed the company from a traditional broadcaster into an all-round media and entertainment company.

    Elmar Heggen will remain CFO of RTL Group and will also become the group’s deputy CEO, taking over the portfolio responsibility for Groupe M6 and RTL Belgium within the RTL group’s executive committee.

    Says RTL Group chairman Thomas Rabe: “On behalf of the whole board, I would like to express a big thank you to Guillaume de Posch for his leadership at the helm of RTL Group since 2012. He has been key to transforming it into the most digital European broadcasting company, and to re-invigorating FremantleMedia’s creative drive. High-end drama productions such as The Young Pope and American Gods stand testimony to this achievement. I regret, but fully respect his decision, and I’m delighted he will continue to contribute his expertise across broadcast, content and digital as a non-executive director on our Board.”

    Thomas Rabe continues: “With Bert Habets, RTL Group will be led by a digitally savvy media entrepreneur with an exceptional inhouse career development at RTL Group. He will ensure long-term continuity in the Group’s leadership, and accelerate the execution of its ‘Total Video’ strategy. This strategy includes a strong focus on fostering creativity and building more direct-to-consumer businesses in the video-on-demand domain. I look forward to continuing our close collaboration, and wish him – as well as Elmar Heggen – every success in their positions.”

    Guillaume de Posch, Co-CEO of RTL Group, says: “I had a fantastic time at the helm of RTL Group. Leading this pan-European pioneer – at which I started my career in the TV industry in 1993 – was a dream come true for me. Now is the right time to hand over to Bert Habets, who will drive the group to its next level. I would like to thank all my colleagues across the whole group – and in particular my fellow executive committee members Bert Habets and Elmar Heggen and, of course, Anke Schäferkordt and Thomas Rabe. I’m very much looking forward to becoming a non-executive director of this inspiring company.”

     

  • Clement Schwebig joins Turner International Asia Pacific

    Clement Schwebig joins Turner International Asia Pacific

    MUMBAI: There’s a new member in the Turner International team who will handle its business development in the Asia Pacific region. Clement Schwebig has joined the network as the senior vice president and will look after the network’s growth strategy in the region.

     

    He will assist in the creation of new local and pan regional channels and develop local content as well. Schwebig has an experience of 15 years in TV operations in two continents – Europe and Asia. Recently, he was a part of the Europe’s leading entertainment company RTL group in Mumbai and led the launch of the channel BIG RTL Thrill. This was the first channel from the co-operation of RTL and Reliance Broadcast.

     

    Previously, he was the COO of Alpha Media Group in Greece and CFO of RTL Televizija in Croatia. His expertise includes TV broadcasting and production including strategy, finance and sales.

  • RTL Group joins forces with CBS Studios International

    RTL Group joins forces with CBS Studios International

    MUMBAI: The RTL Group is joining forces with CBS Studios International to launch two channels, one focused on general entertainment and the other featuring reality, action and extreme sports, across South East Asia.

     

    RTL Group began targeting Asia in 2011, partnering with Reliance Broadcast Network to launch the BIG RTL Thrill network in India in 2012. CBS Studios International also has a partnership with Reliance in India for three channels: BIG CBS Prime, BIG CBS Spark and BIG CBS Love.

     

    The RTL-CBS venture, RTL CBS Asia Entertainment Network, will be based in Singapore, reporting to a board featuring representatives from both companies. It will operate RTL CBS Entertainment, slated for a September 2013 launch, delivering shows like FremantleMedia’s The X Factor, America’s Got Talent and Celebrity Apprentice and CBS’s Elementary and Under the Dome. In spring 2014, RTL CBS Extreme will roll out offering action/adventure, reality series and extreme sports, such as NCIS: Los Angeles, Hawaii Five-0 and Fear Factor. The channels will have ongoing access to content from FremantleMedia and CBS Studios International.

     

    RTL Group co-CEO Guillaume de Posch said, “We are delighted to team up with CBS Studios International. By joining forces with such a renowned global partner, we are continuing our tried-and-tested build strategy, expanding our business to more countries in Asia with high growth potential. CBS is a highly creative and professional organisation with world-leading content which complements FremantleMedia’s catalogue very well. I am very confident that this venture will benefit strongly from the combined broadcasting and production expertise of both parties.”

     

    CBS Global Distribution Group president and CEO Armando Nu?ez added, “This is another opportunity to use CBS’s internationally successful content to be part of a new channel venture in one of the world’s fastest growing TV regions. It’s even better to do it with a best-in-class partner such as RTL Group, one of the most accomplished and respected broadcasters anywhere. We’re excited to create an additive way to monetise our content in Asia and provide audiences throughout the region the best television from two of the world’s most successful programming companies.”

  • Astra begins broadcasting Swiss private channel 3+

    Astra begins broadcasting Swiss private channel 3+

    MUMBAI: Leading satellite operator SES has said Astra is now broadcasting the Swiss private channel 3+ from its prime orbital position 19.2 degrees East.

    3+ is the first broadcaster based in Switzerland to use SES’ satellite capacities. The transmission via the orbital position 19.2 degrees East will expand the reach of 3+ by around 400,000 households in Switzerland.

    The reception of the encrypted private channel 3+ requires a satellite receiver and the SRR Sat Access Card from the Swiss Broadcasting Organisation SRG.
    The SES subsidiary SES Platform Services near Munich provides the uplink and the encryption of the channel. 3+ is one of the leading Swiss broadcasters and reaches an average of 1.7 million viewers, which is about one third of the German-speaking Swiss population.

    “The decision of 3+ to partner with ASTRA for its satellite transmission is an important milestone in the development of the Swiss market,” said Astra Germany MD Wolfgang Elsässer. “3+ is a very popular channel and in addition to the Swiss channels of ProSiebenSat1 Media and RTL Group, satellite TV in Switzerland via ASTRA is now even more attractive.”

  • MipTV’s Milia conference ‘Capture Innovation’ gets 3 industry execs as keynote speakers

    MipTV’s Milia conference ‘Capture Innovation’ gets 3 industry execs as keynote speakers

    MUMBAI: MipTV featuring Milia has announced that three industry executives Joseph Jaffe, Philip Rosedale and Gerhard Zeiler, will be keynote speakers for this year’s conference programme.

    Milia’s 2007 conference programme entitled “Capture Innovation,” will focus on five key themes looking at ‘Trends-in-Television,’ the ‘Explosion of Mobile Media,’ ‘Branding and Marketing 2.0,’ ‘On-Demand Television and Digital Distribution’ and ‘Content 360 and the Future of Media,’ informs an official release.

    Joseph Jaffe president and ‘Chief Interruptor’ of new-age marketing specialists, Crayon L.L.C. and author of the marketing best-seller “Life after the 30-second Spot,” will look at how advertising is evolving in a world ruled by an empowered consumer and a television industry no longer governed solely by the 30-second spot. His speech, entitled “Energize Your Brand: The New Marketing Renaissance,” is part of a new conference track featuring debates between advertising agencies, brands and content industry leaders.

    Philip Rosedale founder and CEO of Linden Lab, the creator of the 3D online digital world phenomenon “Second Life,” will open the ‘Future of Media’ day on 19 April by discussing the next generation of media and how to engage audiences and brands in the a virtual world. The ‘Future of Media’ day will include Content 360 conferences, showcasing new talent along with enabling technologies and creative cross-platform formats, as well as two super panels “TV 2.0 meets Web 2.0” and “Future of Lifestyle Media.”

    Gerhard Zeiler chief executive officer of European entertainment network, RTL Group, will give his “Traditional Media Fights Back” keynote speech on 16 April. A former ‘Mipcom Personality of the Year,’ Gerhard Zeiler will share his vision of how the networks across the world are responding to fragmented media distribution and embracing change.

  • Lagardère in $ 1.1 billion buyout of Sportfive

    Lagardère in $ 1.1 billion buyout of Sportfive

    MUMBAI : French conglomerate Lagardère SCA, which has interests ranging from media (mainly publishing) to defence, has announced it is acquiring Sportfive, the no.1 in European football marketing and media rights, for an enterprise value of €865 million ($1.1 billion).

    This acquisition, which will take place once clearance has been obtained from the European competition authorities, is Lagardère’s first move into the international sports rights trading and agency market. It is in line with Lagardère’s long-term strategy of increasing its presence in exclusive-access media content with high growth potential.

    According to a statement issued by the company, the Sportfive deal is a logical progression from its expansion into the sports industry over the past three years, and the newly-acquired business will benefit from the support of Lagardère’s international media-buying activities.

    Sportfive acts as a partner to sporting bodies and clubs, helping them to extract maximum value from their rights. These rights include media rights, which are bought by TV broadcasters and other content-providers (currently via the Internet and mobile phones), and marketing rights, which enable advertisers to reach the public by buying space in a range of media (team shirts, panel advertising at grounds, stadium sponsorship, etc), thereby associating their brand image with football federations, leagues, clubs or sporting events.

    At present, Sportfive is involved primarily in football, the most highly-developed and attractive sports market in the world.With a rights portfolio embracing over 250 clubs, 50 of Europe’s principal football federations and leagues, and media rights for prestigious international football tournaments like Euro 2008 and the African Cup of Nations, Sportfive is the unchallenged market leader.

    Sportfive operates across the five continents via a network of 11 offices. For 2006, the company is forecasting revenues of €526 million, EBITDA of €85 million and EBITA of €55 million. The principal shareholders of Sportfive are Advent International, Goldman Sachs Capital Partners and RTL Group.Lagardère was advised by Calyon, Goetzpartners, Ernst & Young (Transaction Advisory Services) and Clifford Chance.