Television is a skilled trade. week 28. Ute Biernat on the production of entertainment shows. 15 July 2010

Transcription

1 15 July 2010 Television is a skilled trade Ute Biernat on the production of entertainment shows Germany N-TV rings New York Stock Exchange Closing Bell France Twilight sets best motion picture start of the year The Netherlands RTL 8 introduces children s programming Spain Silvio González on the Spanish TV market

2 Cover: Ute Biernat, Managing Director of Grundy Light Entertainment and UFA Entertainment sion 2

3 ENTERTAINMENT Ute Biernat In the end, what counts is the idea With Deutschland sucht den Superstar Grundy Light Entertainment produces one of the most popular shows on German television. CEO Ute Biernat spoke with Backstage about new projects and challenges. Germany - 15 July 2010 A light haze has descended over Cologne as Ute Biernat sits down to talk with Backstage. Still her office affords a wonderful view of one of Cologne s main landmarks, the famous cathedral. In addition to managing Grundy Light Entertainment, at the beginning of June she took over Harry Goering s job at UFA Entertainment, and has been commuting back and forth between the offices in Cologne and Potsdam ever ince. Ever since I took over the management of UFA Entertainment as well, I wish I had a private plane, says Biernat. This new situation will also affect the companies. We will be merging parts of the two companies in the near future, says Biernat of her new role. Of course only where it makes sense like in Administration. But first the executive wants to examine the books of the companies that produces a number of popular formats, including Bauer sucht Frau (Farmer Wants A Wife) for ATV in Austria and Zuhause im Glück for RTL II. But the two companies will not be merged completely. Although I am the Managing Director of both Grundy Light Entertainment and UFA Entertainment, there is healthy competition between the two companies, says Biernat approvingly. Beginning of 2011, Deutschland sucht den Superstar will enter its eighth season 3

4 But of course you have to consider whether certain formats are a better match for one company or the other. Ute Biernat has been in charge of the business at Grundy Light Entertainment for ten years now a long time in which quite a bit has happened. We ve seen slow, healthy growth over the past ten years, the executive says happily. Looking back, she concludes: The world is moving closer together, becoming more understandable and touchable. There are more and more real people, fewer artists and at the same time production is becoming more technically perfect, thanks to HD for example. What reassures me is that in the end what counts is the idea now as in the past. Television remains a skilled trade. Furthermore, it is important not to simply rest on past success. Long-lived formats like Deutschland sucht den Superstar for instance need to be continually adapted to the viewers taste. The important thing is to keep asking: Is what we re doing here good? If I can no longer ask myself this question, then it s too late, cautions Biernat. And so the Deutschland sucht den Superstar format has changed over the course of the years and now focuses more on telling the candidates stories. But if it revolved solely around the stories, the format would have stopped being popular long ago it is and remains a singing contest, explains Ute Biernat and adds, alluding to the past season: Why should one leave out particular human stories? They re part of our society too, after all. We don t create new realities, in these stories as in the case of the Deutschland sucht den Superstar candidate Menowin, we show what has already become a reality in our society. Yet many changes are minor and viewers do not really notice them. There are new trends in television perhaps every year or two, but the major successes and milestones remain largely the same at the moment the big trend is family entertainment, explains Biernat. This approach observing the market and adapting formats accordingly has brought the company safely through the crisis. I ve given up making threeor five-year-plans for our content, says the manager. Over the past few years we ve built up good partnerships and established long-term formats. And we won t lean back and rest on this, but will keep up the pace and stay flexible. This lets us cushion negative influences like the crisis considerably, explains Biernat. In times of crisis, channels have to focus on reducing costs, and are more likely to bet on tried-and-proven formats or ones that have already enjoyed international success. X Factor with Till Brönner, Sarah Connor and George Glueck is Grundy Light Entertainment s next big production The company s next major project is the production of X Factor for Vox. The first two episodes will be broadcast on RTL Television on 20 and 21 August, before the remaining episodes and live shows are shown on Vox from 24 August. Grundy Light Entertainment is also producing a Hungarian version of X Factor for RTL Klub. We d like to learn from Central and Eastern European creativity and are excited to see what ideas our Hungarian colleagues will contribute to the production, says Biernat in happy anticipation. As digitisation advances, Grundy Light Entertainment is increasingly taking advantage of opportunities beyond the traditional TV screen. We re developing from a pure producer for television into a technically global content provider, explains Biernat. But basically, the content won t change. Television is still a skilled trade executed by experts. The content just has to be adapted to the platform. If a format is meant to be watched primarily on mobile devices, close-ups are used to give audiences a good viewing experience on the tiny display. Ben Hur with its monumental, 4

5 sweeping images simply doesn t work on a mobile phone, Biernat jokes. The basic structure of storytelling remains the same on all platforms often it s just the design of the picture that has to be adapted. One excellent format for the new media are interactive games, which we develop as well. Current projects include a production in co-operation with UFA and the Robert Bosch Stiftung, to make politics a more interesting proposition for 16- and 17-year-old teens. Katrin Lampe, presenter of Bauer sucht Frau in Austria UFA Entertainment produces Zuhause im Glück for RTL II here expert John Kosmalla (left) discusses next steps As part of the UFA family, Grundy Light Entertainment is part of FremantleMedia s worldwide production network. Of course we ll share our thoughts about certain formats within UFA and with FremantleMedia: What works? What doesn t work so well? What are the latest trends?, says Biernat. Within this network there are mainly seven countries Australia, the US, the Netherlands, France, Denmark, Germany and Britain where new formats are developed, and that share ideas with each other. In Germany, there tend to be some very rigid notions sometimes. We lack a bit of anarchy when it comes to new formats, Biernat says. But it s getting better: a lot more new things are now being tried out in Germany. We d rather make a mistake than do nothing at all. The aim here is to inexpensively try out new formats and then go on to market them worldwide if they are a success. There are some drawbacks as well: We re often asked about our independence from RTL Television and other RTL Group channels, says Biernat. But we had to decide from the start: either subsidiary all the way, or independent. We chose the latter. This means delivering the same level of quality for everyone, with fair, open contracts. The best bid wins. Putting this principle into practice is made easier by the Internet. Channels are much more on the ball about new international formats today than back when people were still sending videotapes to each other. If I were to deviate from our principle even just once, we would have forfeited all credibility and could basically pack it in. As Chair of the Format Recognition and Protection Association (Frapa), Ute Biernat also champions the worldwide protection of formats. At a time when everyone is talking about formats trading, everyone wants to get their piece of the business, and disputes can quickly arise. In some genres, the differences between various formats are not clear-cut and therefore difficult to assess. Every quiz show has questions, answers and a moderator these are ingredients you cannot copyright detailed formats are more likely to be protected, notes Biernat. In cases of dispute, the Frapa acts as a mediator. In most cases, however, these cases are not publicly fought out, as the parties agree to confidentiality. Ultimately you can t prevent theft. But Frapa helps to raise awareness of it. It s a long, arduous process, but our goal is complete selfregulation for the market. 5

6 Markus Koch First German channel to ring The Closing Bell To mark 15 years of broadcasting from the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), Markus Koch and Katja Dofel rang The Closing Bell on 14 July the first representatives of a German channel to do so in the history of the NYSE. Germany - 14 July 2010 Alongside CNBC s Maria Bartiromo, Markus Koch was the first foreign reporter on the floor of the world s most important stock exchange. In the early days, my presence on the floor was not very well received by the brokers. It was an Old Boys Club that perceived journalists as alien elements. At the time there were over 2,500 people on the floor, and you had to watch out not to get in the way while people were trading. A lot has changed since then, reports Koch. The spirit of those days is gone, as is a majority of the people who worked there. Only a few hundred are left. In the old days people earned a lot of money here. Today only a few can make ends meet. Koch was nominated for the German TV Award in 2000 for his reporting. In the German media, Koch is seen as the face of Wall Street. In the feature Backstage Wall Street, which N-TV will air at 22:05 on 14 July, he and a camera team will explore the background, contexts and changes of the world s biggest trading floor. The eponymous illustrated book Backstage Wall Street was nominated for the German Photobook Award in Katja Dofel worked on Wall Street from 1997 to 1999, and has reported for N-TV from the Frankfurt stock exchange since Business coverage is one of N-TV s core competencies. Every half-hour starting at 7:15, the moderators Verena Fels and Astrid Fronja report on international business in the programme Märkte am Morgen (Markets In The Morning). Expert interviews and analyses round off the format. Starting at noon, it s over to Telebörse with Annette Eimermacher and Isabelle Körner for the channel s business reporting. At 18:20, the Telebörse with Raimund Brichta and Beate Hoffbauer gives viewers an overview of the whole day, followed by an update at 22:50, with a programme summing up the day s events on Wall Street. Sabrina Bauer, Katja Dofel, Frank Meyer and Corinna Wohlfeil report from the Frankfurt stock exchange. In N-TV s advice programmes, Carola Ferstl informs viewers about the latest in funds and certificates, money, taxes and law. Several times a year Sabine Christiansen explores the evolution and influence of the economy with renowned experts from business, politics and society in the talk show Agenda 10 Werte und Märkte. 6

7 Twilight continues to rise With 590,000 tickets sold on the first day of its release, the third instalment in the Twilight saga, Hésitation (Twilight: Eclipse) ranked as the number one film debut of the year in France. France - 12 July 2010 Released on 7 July and distributed by SND, a subsidiary of Groupe M6 and a shareholder in Summit Entertainment, the American studio that produced the Twilight films, David Slade s motion picture was the number one film debut of the year, ahead of Shrek 4 (504,000 tickets sold) and Camping 2 (292,000 tickets sold) and is ranked number 12 among the top film debuts of all time in France. As a reminder, Twilight Chapitre 1 : Fascination (Twilight) drew 141,000 film fans the first day, selling 2.8 million tickets in all, while Twilight Chapitre 2 : Tentation (Twilight: New Moon) sold 488,000 tickets the first day of its release, selling 4.2 million tickets in all. The fourth instalment in the Twilight series will be released in November

8 Daily children s programming this autumn This autumn RTL 8 will start broadcasting daily children s shows aimed at 3- to 8-year olds. The Netherlands - 13 July 2010 Young viewers can tune in seven days a week from 6:30 to 9:30 to watch a varied lineup that includes mainly Dutch or Dutch-language programmes. RTL Nederlands women s channel is introducing this new programming as an offer to the kids of its usual audience. RTL 8 s Programming Director Remko van Westerloo comments: A children s programme is the only thing missing at RTL Nederland. From this autumn on, everyone will be included in our programming. We will broadcast entertaining, high-quality children programmes that are nonviolent, child-friendly and educational. Later this summer, we will present what younger viewers can expect from us. One of the famous fashion shows in Amsterdam Continued collaboration Following their cooperation last winter, RTL Lounge and the Amsterdam International Fashion Week will work together again on the summer edition of the trade fair. The Netherlands - 13 July 2010 At the Amsterdam International Fashion Week (AIFW), taking place from 14 to 18 July, numerous well-known and up-and-coming designers will be showing their new collections. The Dutch women s channel RTL Lounge will of course be on the scene to keep its viewers abreast of the latest trends. Programmes leading up to the tradeshow have been on air since 1 July. RTL Lounge is running a number of interviews with various designers to provide a foretaste of what awaits visitors at the AIFW. During the Fashion Week itself, RTL Lounge will report daily on the day s highlights, and Isabelle Brinkmann, moderator and voice of RTL Lounge will interview designers and Dutch people on fashion topics. The channel will also air features on the best shows and take a behind-the-scenes look at the tradeshow. Viewers can also win tickets for one of the exclusive fashion shows, simply by uploading a fashion photo of themselves to RTLLounge.nl and with a bit of luck, they ll be able to experience the fashion world live and first-hand. 8

9 Silvio González We ve transformed ourselves into a global content provider In an interview with TV Monitor, the monthly newsletter of the Association of Commercial Television in Europe (ACT), Silvio González talks about the Antena 3.0 strategy and the Spanish TV market. Spain - 15 July 2010 Antena 3 ended 2009 as the Spain s leading commercial TV channel in terms of audience share (16.6 per cent), at a time when the country was severely hit by the economic crisis. Grupo Antena 3 s resilience showed that the company s decision to bank on digital terrestrial television and the strategic design of a family of channels was the right one, González said in TV Monitor. Alongside its flagship channel Antena 3, the Spanish group operates two DTT channels Neox and Nova which González calls an efficient hedge against the process of audience fragmentation. Later this year, Grupo Antena 3 will launch a third DTT channel: Nitro. As Antena 3 celebrates its 20th anniversary, it is clear that the way television is done today has changed drastically. Innovation has become key to success in the TV industry, says González. That is why Grupo Antena 3 implemented its Antena 3.0 a year ago. The new strategy reflected socio-demographic changes as well as the company s new self-image of no longer being just a TV broadcaster, but an integrated media company with a presence on all three platforms: television, online and mobile. Silvio González also emphasises the importance of news and information on TV: there is a real demand for it from the public. Society gets its information mainly through television, and there is no evidence that this is about to change, he says. However, like all other TV genres, news and information programmes have to evolve to better suit the requirements of demanding viewers. Silvio González concludes by reiterating his intent to make Grupo Antena 3 as profitable as possible and to put innovation and quality at the heart of the group s thoughts and action. He also predicts change in the Spanish market: As far as television and the audiovisual landscape are concerned, although there are still some unknowns to be resolved everything shows that two or at most three big groups with enough specific weight will exist in the market alongside a group of companies of smaller size, probably niche, but with a viable future. We made a strategic point of being wherever the viewer is, regardless of when, how or where he decides to see our product, explains Silvio González before adding: Finally, we have taken the step to be much more than a conventional television operator and to transform ourselves into a global provider of content, managing three or more channels and simultaneously, multiple platforms of distribution. 9

10 Romantic Bavarian wedding A year to the day after they first met, Narumol and Josef from Season Five of Bauer sucht Frau got married. Inka Bause presented the wedding on RTL Television on 12 July, with 6.11 million viewers tuning in, representing a total audience share of 22.5 per cent.

11 Project Canvas moves forward as Five departs Project Canvas partners last Friday announced that Five will not pursue further involvement in Project Canvas, pending a review of its digital investment strategy. United Kingdom - 12 July 2010 An authentic Family Feud experience FremantleMedia Enterprises and the interactive entertainment company Ludia have published a Family Feud game for the PlayStation 3. United Kingdom / North America - 12 July 2010 Fun and filled with action and bikinis Last Monday, M6 launched the first two episodes of Season 1 of the US series Burn Notice, which is a big hit on the other side of the Atlantic. Thanks to the new series, M6 was the second most-watched channel in France in that particular time slot. France - 13 July 2010 Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland to commercialise copyrights for RTL II RTL II will entrust the handling of copyrights and ancillary copyrights to its programming in Germany and abroad to Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland in future. As RTL Television, Vox, N-TV and Super RTL had done earlier, the Munich-based channel has thus parted ways with VG Media. Germany - 14 July

12 6.3 million listeners per day tune in In France, the Médiamétrie institute has just published the radio listening figures for the period covering the months of April, May and June: RTL Radio France increased its audience figures and continued to pull away from the competition, while Fun Radio also gained listeners and RTL 2 even scored a new record. France - 14 July 2010 Winners of the latest Media-Analyse survey The results of the latest Media-Analyse survey (ma 2010 Radio II) bear out the continued success of RTL Radio Deutschland and its portfolio of stations, including Antenne Bayern, RTL and Spreeradio. Germany - 14 July 2010 Leaders in their markets Whether distributed by cable, satellite or ADSL, the Groupe M6 channels showed a good performance: While M6 emerged as the third-ranking channel with nationwide coverage, commanding an audience share of 10.5 per cent among viewers aged 4 and above (March 2010 to June 2010), W9, Paris Première, Téva are all leaders in their key target groups. France - 15 July

13 Nathalie Drouaire People Pumping up its drama offering United Kingdom - 15 July 2010 Nathalie Drouaire has been brought on to serve in a consultancy role at FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) to lead the development of an English-language international co-financed drama slate. Effective immediately, Nathalie Drouaire will be based in France and will report to Londonbased FME s Global CEO, David Ellender. She will work alongside FME s London and Los Angeles acquisitions and development teams, and liaise with existing British, European and American third party producers and broadcasters. Nathalie Drouaire will also source new opportunities within her network of industry contacts, especially European partners. Additionally she will drive co-financing and co-production opportunities from FremantleMedia Enterprises slate, looking to create new English-language drama series with international appeal and package long-form content with talent for production. FME s Global CEO, David Ellender, said Broadcasters are increasingly challenged in terms of fully-funded, prime time drama and have to be more and more imaginative about funding models. Nathalie s expertise in development, acquisitions, co-production structuring, as well as running her own production and distribution company, are immensely valuable as FremantleMedia Enterprises continues to increase its global drama portfolio. 13

14 People Dave Christian passed away Luxembourg - 15 July 2010 Dave Christian Dave Christian, one of the pioneers of RTL s legendary Radio Luxembourg 208, passed away last weekend. Christian had joined Radio Luxembourg in September 1968 and worked from London for the first few months before coming to the Grand Duchy permanently. He gained fame as one of the DJs of the Station of the stars during the 1970s and worked for the German and Dutch services of Radio Luxembourg. The funeral service was held on 14 July in Luxembourg at the Notre Dame Cemetery in Limpertsberg. He is survived by his daughter Karen. 14

15 Publisher RTL Group 45, Bd Pierre Frieden L-1543 Luxembourg Editor, Design, Production RTL Group Corporate Communications and Marketing