week 12 - backstage.rtlgroup.com · ced promotional film, too.” ... , sports, holidays, ani-mals...

Germany

RTL Television secures deal with Warner Bros

France

Groupe M6 fights Aids

Belgium

An hour without light with RTL-TVI

Spain

El Internado becoming a video game

Fruitful synergiesThomas Valentin on the second Pitch & Meet

week 12

19 March 2009

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week 12

19 March 2009

COVER:Montage

the RTL Group intranetweek 12

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Luxembourg - 12 March 2009

The first Pitch & Meet was held in Paris inMarch 2008, based on a simple butbright idea: to provide a unique forum forthe creative directors of Europe’s leadingproduction companies and the program-ming directors of RTL Group’s channelsto share fresh format concepts. This way,production companies can pitch theirformats to nine territories at one timeinstead of presenting their ideas to eachindividual broadcaster. By the sametoken, RTL Group’s programme directorshave a direct way to discuss possibleoptions for collaboration within thegroup. This year, creative executivesfrom eight production companies inclu-ding BBC Worldwide, FremantleMedia,ITV Productions and Talpa attended themeeting in Paris.

“Bringing together the creative potential of nineof RTL Group’s 11 countries and the leadingproduction companies from all over Europe notonly makes sense in terms of refreshing andcreating good relationships but gives us thecrucial possibility to share our experiences, tobe close to new ideas and evaluate their poten-tial well in advance of the usual marketplaceslike MIP,” says Tom Sänger, Head ofEntertainment at RTL Television in Germany.

As the name indicates, the Pitch & Meet iscomposed of two parts: the pitching sessionsand opportunities to get together. Each pro-duction company had an exclusive 45-minutes

pitching slot: 20 to 30 minutes of presentationfollowed by a Q&A session. This year, the focuswas on prime time and access prime time for-mats, such as factual programmes, entertain-ment shows, event shows, reality formats andinfotainment. In order to continue discussion ina more informal setting, 40-minute breaks werescheduled after every two pitching slots, provi-ding for perfect integration of networking andcreative discussions in the event. Gary Carter,Chief Operating Officer of FremantleMedia,comments: “I feel the format worked. The envi-ronment was friendly, we could see who was inthe room, the technology worked, and thebreak afterwards gave me a chance to talk tomany of my RTL colleagues in a relaxed set-

“More useful and efficient”At this year’s Pitch & Meet, eight productioncompanies presented their programme ideas to 38 RTL Group Executives. Backstage talked to Thomas Valentin about the meeting and itsdevelopment in the 12 months.

Tom Sänger, Head of Entertainment at RTL Television

Gary Carter, Chief Operating Officer of FremantleMedia


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ting.” In the evening, Groupe M6 had organiseda dinner in the heart of Paris for RTL Group’sprogramming directors to discuss ideas inmore detail in a relaxed ambiance. “The atmos-phere and setting was excellent and to behonest we don’t have any negative comment,”said Maarten Meijs, Director of Sales at Talpa.

The day after, RTL Group had organised aProgramme Synergy Committee meeting whereall the Programme Executives could review theideas and discuss options for collaborating onspecial shows or events. This way the Pitch &Meet is not only a way of getting to know newprogramme trends, but also to interact on agroup level.

To get an inside view of the Event, Backstagetalked to Thomas Valentin, Deputy Chairman ofthe Management Board of M6, who chaired thePitch & Meet in Paris.

Last year’s Pitch & Meet got a good respon-se, so a second meeting was organised thisyear. What has changed compared to lastyear?First of all, we were really happy to organisethis second edition of the RTL Pitch & Meet,which turned to be a great success. This year,we really worked on improving the ‘meet’ partbetween production companies and RTL exe-cutives. Our objective was to ease the dialo-gue, so we decided to organize a 40-minutecoffee break after every two pitches, whichallowed for more informal and relaxed discus-sions with the producers. This new structureseemed to be really appreciated.

Do you see any particular trend in program-mes at the moment? How would you descri-be the development of programme trendssince last year’s meeting?The input from the producers – like last year –was very creative and diverse but we identifiedone common feature among all the lineups pre-sented: scalability. All producers have fullyunderstood the difficult context in which allbroadcasters are operating in 2009, and werekeen on proposing scalable formats that couldbe adapted to very tight budgets.

Do you think with the two meetings held sofar, sharing experiences and synergieswithin RTL Group have improved?It has clearly improved, and will even improvemore with the following sessions. Having the

time to exchange around new formats with ninedifferent territories and eight production com-panies during a whole day is a unique chance;and the more we will have the opportunity toget to know us better, the more useful and effi-cient these sessions will be.

In 2008, a Programme Synergy Commiteemeeting was held the day after the Pitch &Meet. Did you repeat this as well?Yes, we decided to repeat the ProgrammeSynergy Committee on the day after the Pitch &Meet as well: it allowed us to debrief on all theformats pitched and think about options forcollaboration around certain programmes.Sharing views and experiences between coun-tries is really a great way of learning how toimprove our formats, scheduling, develop-ments, and it gives us a lot of interesting ideas.All of us are programme directors, we do thesame job in respective different markets andwe are not competitors; this is why we canexchange our views and experience very open-ly. It is very fruitful.

Did you already receive any feedback fromparticipants on RTL Group’s side? Howabout feedback from the production compa-nies’ representatives?The feedback from the production companiesas well as the RTL executives was very positi-ve this year, they found the day both interestingand interactive, and many of them thought thatthe atmosphere was excellent, which facilitatedthe discussions greatly. We are really happywith this year’s edition and we are encouragingeveryone to maintain the dialogue beyond lastweek’s session.

Thomas Valentin, Deputy Chairman of the M6 Management Board


More than 200 MotionPictures and TV SeriesRTL Television and Warner Bros. InternationalTelevision Distribution have signed a new,multiyear volume deal agreement which willmake RTL Television the new broadcast homefor all programming in Germany.Germany - 19 March 2009

Under terms of the agreement, RTL Televisionhas obtained the German broadcasting rightsto a slate of first-run feature films commencingwith titles released theatrically in the US in2010, along with a number of library motionpictures, as well as new television series star-ting with the 2010/11 US television season – intotal more than 200 theatrical motion picturesand television series.

Dirk Schweitzer said, “We are extremely happyto acquire this package from Warner Bros.International Television Distribution, which isalso one of the most attractive deals availableto the German market in recent years. Thisacquisition continues to boost RTL Television’slevel of proficiency in cinema and TV series.”

Jeffrey Schlesinger said, “We are pleased tohave entered into this new agreement whichwill bring all of our new movies and televisionseries to RTL Television beginning next year.We look forward to working closely with RTL tomake this programming a hit with German vie-wers for years to come.”

Movies licensed by RTL under the new dealinclude numerous free-TV premieres, highligh-ted by the final two installments of the HarryPotter film franchise: the two-part Harry Potterand the Deathly Hallows. Additional previouslyreleased motion pictures included in the pactare, among others, the three films in the PeterJackson-directed Lord of the Rings trilogy aswell as Ocean’s Eleven, Rush Hour 2 andBlade II.

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Ocean’s Eleven

Lord of the Rings


Haselhörnchen gets itsown showFrom 19 April, the Super RTL Squirrel,Haselhörnchen, will ride out eight fur-raisingadventures in Haselhörnchen – Hier knallt dieEnte, aired in double episodes of eleven minutes each.Germany - 16 March 2009

The Super RTL Squirrel is getting its very ownseries, co-starring such characters asJammerlappen (the wet rag), the little girl, andother fantastic creatures invented by the pup-pet builder, puppeteer and writer Martin Reinl.The furry little star is even getting his ownpromo flick, in which he introduces his newproject to the press and doesn’t let Super RTL’sManaging Director Claude Schmit get a word inedgewise. “Haselhörnchen already lived inCologne-Ossendorf before Super RTL settledhere,” explains Schmit. “So when we construc-ted our building, we basically inherited thesquirrel.” And turned it into a success story:Haselhörnchen has long since established him-self as the authority on anything off-the-wall,zany, radical and dishevelled – as on Toggo TV.

“It was time for Haselhörnchen to get his ownshow. And just look where it’s gotten us,”concludes Programming Director CarstenGöttel. “Not only did he get his own show, nowhe’s marketing himself with a specially produ-ced promotional film, too.”

What does the series squirrel on about? Thereally deep topics, the ones that have preoccu-pied mankind since time immemorial: crimestories, music, school, sports, holidays, ani-mals and the moon landing. No one will be ableto accuse the squirrel of not having racked itscheeky little brains over some very profoundcontent. It all starts at 17:15 on 19 April.

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Martin Reinl and the Jammerlappen

Haselhörnchen and his friends

Watch the trailer on

Backstage


Fighting AidsGroupe M6 is implementing a multiple-supportinitiative for Sidaction, a french charity organi-sation raising funds and awareness for the fightagainst AidsFrance - 13 March 2009

Once again this year, Groupe M6, conscious ofits role in transmitting information to viewersand sensitive to the cause of the battle againstAids, is joining the national initiative. It is withdetermination that the group is rallying to passalong Sidaction’s message and call for dona-tions. This mobilisation involves all the media inthe group: broadcasting, Web and mobile.

Since 16 March, the group’s channels (M6, W9,Paris Première, Téva, M6 Music Hits, M6 MusicClub, M6 Music Black, TF6, Série Club),backed up by their presenters, started incorpo-rating Sidaction affirmatives into their program-mes: messages by the initiative, calls for dona-tions, information on prevention, specialshows, subjects dedicated to the illness, rai-sing awareness, the broadcast of segmentsrelating to the battle against Aids and theSidaction public service announcement.

In the public service announcement on themedia partners’ involvement, W9 presenterSidonie Bonnec says, “One person in the worldis contaminated every six seconds. Aids knowsno shortage. That’s why W9 is supportingSidaction and asking you to tune in on 20, 21and 22 March. Be there.”

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Sidonie Bonnec, W9 presenter


In harmony with the youthM6 Mobile by Orange is launching La Chaîne Vidéo: a video service for mobile devices aimed at 15 to 24 year-olds.France - 17 March 2009

La Chaîne Vidéo offers M6 Mobile subscribersthe possibility of watching hit shows from theGroupe M6 channels any time on their mobile.The programmes are shown in full length, withads for upcoming shows running throughoutthe day.

The video-on-demand service follows the paceof youth, offering new videos during their sparetime: in the morning, at lunchtime and in theevenings (Caméra Café every day at 17:00,Kaamelott at 18:00…). Once added to the pro-gramming, the videos are archived for a mini-mum of 15 days and are accessible at all timeson the mobile site.

New M6 Mobile subscribers will have unlimitedaccess to La Chaîne Vidéo via the Inside M6Mobile Internet portal that is dedicated to them.This launch is accompanied by a TV campaignon the Groupe M6 channels and on the Web topromote this new service and encourage vie-wers to discover it via a viral contest highligh-ting a hit programme: Caméra Café.

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The offer by M6 Mobile including La chaîne video


Interactive telenovela Grundy UFA, Teamworx and ZDF have joined forces to give Internet users the chanceto become protagonists in their new telenovela, Alisa.

Germany - 13 March 2009

After public broadcaster ZDF aired the first epi-sodes of Alisa – Folge deinem Herzen (Alisa –Follow Your Heart), its fans can now go onlineto become protagonists in the telenovela them-selves. A unique technology that automaticallysplices faces into videos inserts them right intothe series’ action.

All users have to do is upload a digital photo ofthemselves. They are then issued a “staff ID”for the company Alisa works at, ‘Castellhoff-Optik’. One of the characters in the Internettelenovela then takes on the user’s features(from the uploaded photo) and the user beco-mes part of the fictional events. Fans can sharea souvenir of this custom experience with theirfriends by sharing the video clip and joining inan entirely new phenomenon: the ‘telenovela togo’.

“In co-operation with Micro MovieMedia, Grundy UFA, Teamworxand ZDF are creating the firsttruly interactive and customisa-ble story, with various plotstrands for users to follow,” saysJan Marquardt, Producer NewMedia at Grundy UFA. “The combi-nation of the two in particular isunprecedented in Germany. This is anup-to-the-minute project that takes advantageof cutting-edge technologies.”

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Alisa.zdf.de

Check out

Alisa.zdf.de


An hour without light to save the climateRTL-TVI is actively committed to the protectionof the environment and is fighting global warming alongside WWF.Belgium - 19 March 2009

On Saturday 28 March 2009 from 20:30 to21:30, public authorities, cities, companies andcitizens will turn off their lights for one hour –a symbolic gesture to proclaim “Earth Hour”,a worldwide event for climate protection. Thisyear, for the first time, Belgium is taking part inthe initiative. RTL-TVI alongside with Michel DeMaegd, presenter of the news and Face à Face,is lending its support to Earth Hour.

On 28 March, Michel de Maegd will be inSydney for live coverage of “Earth Hour”. Then,he will depart on a long journey on a microlightas part of the “Earth Challenge” project. Duringthis flight from Australia to Brussels, Michel deMaegd and six other pilots will fly over zonesregistered “at risk” as a result of global warmingand will draw the audience’s attention to theclimatological and ecological threats facingmillions of men and women living in theseregions.

Plug RTL is also participating in “Earth Hour”.The channel will broadcast public serviceannouncements for Earth Hour throughout themonth of March, as well as segments thatexplain the problems that are arising due to glo-bal warming. The web site will also providevisitors with explanations about this worldwidesolidarity initiative.

The “Earth Hour” initiative was started in 2007by WWF (formerly the World Wildlife Fund) inSydney as a symbolic event for climate protec-tion. While 50 million people in 35 countriesparticipated in this initiative in 2008, WWF esti-mates that this year, in 2009, one billion peoplewill make the symbolic gesture of turning offtheir lights for an hour.

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Michel de Maegd, presenter of the news and Face à Face


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25 years of the unusual On the occasion of I Comme’s 25th anniversary, a video module has been set up onthe programme’s blog allowing to watch reports from the last 25 years.Belgium - 17 March 2009

Every week, I Comme travels the world to findthe most unusual people. Since its inception, IComme has never failed to win notoriety, beco-ming a programme that is widely appreciatedby audiences today.

I Comme is the oldest programme on RTL-TVItoday, because it has never rested on its laurelsand has kept up with the times. When we askits presenter, Jacques van den Biggelaar, howhe sees the future of I Comme, he replies: “Ithink that at I Comme, we are constantly loo-

king toward the future andwe always want to chan-ge. The show is now25 years old, becausewe never cease toevolve. We are conti-nually looking for newideas, new kinds ofreporting, new sour-ces.”

Seewww.rtlinfo.be/icomme

Anniversary show for MónikaOne of Hungary’s most popular and longest-running programmes celebrated its 1,500thshow on RTL Klub at the beginning of March.Hungary - 16 March 2009

Mónika, aired on RTL Klub and hosted byMónika Erdélyi, is one of the most-watched talkshows in Hungary. Its guests discuss their bro-ken relationships, reveal the biggest secrets oftheir lives or finally meet their long-lost lovedones.

The show has been on air since May 2001 andhas welcomed about 15,000 guests fromaround the country and even abroad duringthat time. ‘Ordinary folks’ are always happy to

share their problems with Mónika honestly, andhave sometimes been able to make life-chan-ging decisions with her help.

In her 1,500th show Mónika hosted celebritieswho were finally able to settle their differenceswith each other. At the end of the anniversaryshow everyone shared a huge anniversary cakeand wished Mónika the best of success for thenext 1,500 shows.

Mónika Erdélyi cutting her anniversary cake


El Internado now as a video gameIn spring of 2009, Virgin Play will release itsadaptation of Antena 3’s popular series as avideo game for Nintendo DS.Spain - 18 March 2009

The game follows the plot of the series, butbuilds on additional content and storylines thatrun parallel to the actual series. Among otherthings, the interpersonal relationships betweenthe boarding-school students play an importantrole in solving the mystery at the heart of thegame. Players choose to be one of the fivemain characters: Carol, Ivan, Mark, Julia orVicky.

El Internado – Laguna Negra is more than amere transferral of the series to the virtual realm– it is a graphic adventure full of riddles forveteran fans as well as newcomers. Each gamemaintains the dramatic suspense of the storyand players can review the progress of theirinvestigation at any time. The game’s graphicsare a winning mix of 2D and 3D elements.Interval sequences are rendered in the Sin Citystyle: black-and-white with very little use ofcolour. The game will be released in spring of2009, to accompany the start of the fifth sea-son on Antena 3.

Season four of El Internado was watched by anaverage 3.8 million viewers, or 22 per cent ofSpanish TV audiences. The format has alsosold to various countries including Italy.

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El Internado

El Internado video game


New giveaways now availableA small memento is always welcome among business partners and helps to lightenthe tone of a meeting. RTL Group recently gave its giveaway catalogue an overhaul.Luxembourg - 17 March 2009

As well as tried and tested products, such as the popular RTL Group pens, the new cataloguecontains plenty of branded novelties. They include an elegant bottle opener magnet, an eco-friend-ly jute carrying bag, a new trolley that’s sure to make a good impression on business trips, a newversion of the popular umbrella, and an ‘environMIND’ shirt to match the ‘environMIND’ section onBackstage and the ‘environMIND’ Day last November.

The technology range has undergone some upgrades as well: the new USB stick comes with 2 GBof memory, the watch is available in an elegant new model, and the new Phone Buddy ensurespride of place for a mobile phone or Blackberry.

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Umbrella Phone Buddy Eco-friendly bag


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Citroën adds a new kind of fare to commercial breaksUFA Entertainment is producing a new advertising format for Citroën, which made its on-air debut on 16 March on N-TV. The new infotainment format stars veteran talk masterHans Meiser.Germany - 13 March 2009

American Idol on iPhoneA new mobile application for the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch based on the talentcontest American Idol was launched recently by FremantleMedia.United States - 13 March 2009

The radio station that loves booksFrom 13 to 18 March, RTL Radio France was broadcasting live from the 29th Salondu livre in Paris and awarded the Grand Prix-Lire 2009 to Olivier Adam.France - 13 March 2009

Humour and impertinence On 23 March Azap, a new and unconventional news magazine, comes to W9 at the start ofthe evening.France - 16 March 2009

More twists and turns Sir Alan Sugar returns with Talkback Thames-produced The Apprentice on BBC One tochallenge a new group of aspiring tycoons, who will battle it out in the toughest challengeof their lives.United Kingdom - 17 March 2009


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Princess Lillifee: Dancing with childrenThe beloved children’s character Princess Lillifee is getting her own dance show onthe German public children’s channel, Kika. Tanz mit Prinzessin Lillifee will be produ-ced by Grundy Light Entertainment.France - 11 March 2009

The everyday problems of a time-travelling heroRTL II will begin airing the mystery series Journeyman – Der Zeitspringer on 25 April2009. The series combines elements of mystery and science fiction, while also dea-ling with the fictional everyday problems encountered by time-travellers.France - 11 March 2009

Next round of giving performers their chanceOn Friday 20 March 2009 the Zénith in Strasbourg will host the third M6 Mobilemusic live event. The event will be broadcast on M6mobile.fr and the mobile portalInsideM6mobile.fr starting 24 March as well as on the channel M6 on 28 March.France - 19 March 2009

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Editor, Design, Production

RTL Group

Corporate Communications and Marketing

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