week 07 / 18 February 2016 FULL CONTACT How Radio Contact has entered a new dimension, offering an enhanced TV experience France RTL Radio unites all services under one roof United Kingdom FremantleMedia International signs deal with Slam Luxembourg/North America IP Network and StyleHaul join forces for Beats campaign
France United Kingdom week 07 / 18 February 2016 Luxembourg/North America FULL CONTACT How Radio Contact has entered a new dimension, offering an enhanced TV experience RTL Radio unites all services under one roof FremantleMedia International signs deal with Slam MIP Network and StyleHaul join forces for Beats campaign Cover Montage with visuals from Radio Contact Publisher RTL Group 45, Bd Pierre Frieden L-1543 Luxembourg Editor, Design, Production RTL Group Corporate Communications & Marketing Think before you print backstage.rtlgroup.com backstage.rtlgroup.fr backstage.rtlgroup.de
QUICK VIEW RTL Radio unites all services under one roof RTL Radio (France) p.8 R@DIO INTERACTIVITY Radio Contact p.4 7 Partnership with Slam FremantleMedia International p.9 Joining forces for Beats campaign IP Network / StyleHaul p.10 Production of new sitcoms RTL Television p.11 Big Picture p.12 SHORT NEWS p.13
R@DIO INTERACTIVITY Belgium 18 February 2016 Radio Contact Radio Contact chose World Radio Day, celebrated on Saturday 13 February 2016, to change its televised product. Backstage has switched on to the new offer. THE TV VERSION OF RADIO CONTACT IS PACKED WITH EXTRAS, LIKE COMPETITIONS, INTERACTIVE POSSIBILITIES AND WEATHER MAPS, WHICH ENRICH THE LISTENING EXPERIENCE WITHOUT UNDERMINING THE FM PRODUCT. Julien Mourlon, Digital Manager of RTL Belgium s radio stations 4
Run by RTL Belgium, Radio Contact attracts more than a million listeners a week, commanding a leading market share of 16.1 per cent*. In addition to its leader radio market position, the station is also the frontrunner in terms of viewers, with its TV version Radio Contact Vision reaching an average monthly audience of more than 1.3 million people** the best TV rating achieved by any French-speaking radio station in Belgium. The dolphin radio station now took a quantum leap forward by plunging into a new dimension. Radio Contact is providing viewers with a feast for their eyes, pulling out all the stops by giving its TV platform a complete makeover, building a brand new studio and deploying HD cameras. It also recently added an improved visual and presents a mass of information on screen, including weather maps and lists of upcoming tracks to be aired. This is a true technological innovation by the radio station which was launched 36 years ago. But far from merely giving itself a new look to present its unique identity on the screen, Radio Contact is above all highly interactive, mainly thanks to its integration of social networks, which thrust listeners right into the heart of its studios, bringing them as close as possible to the station s presenters. Listeners reactions can now be shown on screen, in the form of Facebook comments, tweets, text messages or Instagram photos. So Radio Contact s listeners are becoming more actively involved with their favourite radio station, and such close interaction with its listeners makes it fair to say that Radio Contact is unquestionably living up to its name. Indeed, the station has pulled off a major technical feat by developing unique links between audio and video output. Julien Mourlon, Digital Manager of RTL Belgium s radio stations, explains how it all works: The particularly elegant aspect of the system created by our IT Department is that it is controlled as on conventional radio by the director, who can draw on the various audio content at his fingertips to display appropriate video content on screen to accompany it. This was already the case with the previous version, but in this further refinement of the product the TV aspect takes more of a front seat, with smoother transitions between the various elements of programmes. Furthermore, the TV version of Radio Contact is packed with extras, like competitions, interactive possibilities and weather maps, which enrich the listening experience without undermining the FM product. This is a real step forward for the most popular French-speaking radio station in Belgium, because previously Radio Contact Vision, which was set up in 2009, contented itself with offering viewers a basic view of the goings on in its studios as well as broadcasting video clips. The idea Next > Weather maps on the screen enrich the viewers experience *Results of the Belgian Media Information Centre (CIM) Period: September to December 2015 **Source: CIM TV Sud 2015/16 season (September to February) Full day Consolidated ratings Minimum viewing time of 1 consecutive minute Target: total audience 5
The new version of Radio Contact Vision offers enhanced interactivity with listeners at the time was simply to allow listeners a behind-the-scenes look by showing them what was going on in the station s studios and on the sidelines. Eric Adelbrecht, Managing Director of RTL Belgium s radio stations, points out: We are remaining within the confines of filmed radio, but what we present on TV screens has been clearly improved. Radio Contact has absolutely no aspirations to evolve into a TV channel and definitely has no plans to alter its fundamentals. Whereas currently no less than 10 per cent of the radio station s audience comes to it through television with an upward trend TV remains one of several ways of tuning in to Radio Contact, others being through its website www.radiocontact.be or via smartphones. Radio Contact s sole aim for 2016: establish its reputation as Belgium s most interactive radio station. Eric Adelbrecht, Managing Director of RTL Belgium s radio stations Watch the video guiding through the new offer 6
Daddy K Le S THE FEEL GOOD STATION The radio station, launched in 1980, joined RTL Belgium in 1991 Radio Contact strives to be close to its listeners throughout the day. With its cheerful, fresh and light-hearted approach, Radio Contact is firmly focussed on music and is extremely popular in the 12 to 44 age group 587,000 listeners every day Over the past two months (Decembre 2015 and January 2016) Radio Contact Vision had a monthly audience of 1.5 million viewers Popular shows include Good Morning with Maria Del Rio and Olivier Arnould, Le Live with Gaëtan Bartosz, Contact R n B presented by Daddy K & Le S and In The Mix with Mademoiselle Luna Gaëtan Bartosz OIivier Arnould Maria Del Rio 7
BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE RTL Radio RTL Radio (France) is continuing its push forward its modernisation by uniting all its activities at a new location. France 18 February 2016 Over the past five years RTL Radio has followed a resolutely forward-looking strategy designed to consolidate the leading position of its radio activities in a media landscape undergoing fundamental change. To this end, RTL Radio significantly renewed the range of programmes aired by its flagship station, launched an ambitious plan to develop its digital activities, akin to its Renaissance project, and proceeded to modernise its music stations, which are attracting record audiences. RTL Radio has decided to turn a new page in its enterprise project by planning to relocate all its activities, currently spread over several buildings at its historical A visualisation of the future building headquarters in the eighth arrondissement of Paris, to a single, new, modern complex where all its teams will work under one roof. The relocation will provide RTL Radio with an opportunity to invest, particularly in upgrading its production facilities. The new site in Neuilly-sur-Seine has everything that RTL Radio needs to continue modernising the business activities of its French radio stations, and the company intends to have completed its move there by the end of 2017. In a letter sent to all RTL Radio employees, CEO Christopher Baldelli wrote: More than ever, we need to work as a team. Relocating to a modern, new site where all our teams and activities will be united under one roof, rather than spread over five different buildings as is the case today, is an ambitious and exciting project, which marks our future and together we will make it a success. 8
UNIQUE ENTERTAINING TELEVISION FremantleMedia International FremantleMedia International (FMI) has signed a major development and distribution deal with Slam, the scripted indie run by Stephen Mangan (Houdini and Doyle, Episodes) and Louise Delamere (No Angels, The Chatterley Affair). United Kingdom 15/17 February 2016 Under the terms of the deal, FremantleMedia will work with Slam to develop its slate and provide support service infrastructure in exchange for a first-look option on any commissions. FMI will also provide a platform for Slam content to reach international audiences through its extensive global sales network. FMI has also announced that it has sold Miso Film Sweden hit thriller Modus to BBC Four. Joe Penhall s screen adaptation of Birthday, directed by Roger Michell and produced by Slam-founder Delamere A nail-biting, contemporary thriller with a well-woven tapestry of compelling characters and shocking crimes, Modus is a tale of love and hate, and of deadly, holy wrath. The series sees criminal psychologist and ex-fbi profiler Inger Johanne Vik returning to Sweden and the world of academia in order to spend more time with her two daughters, the eldest of whom, Stina, has autism. However, Stina becomes witness to a murder and due to her condition cannot express what she saw or how it affects her. As the number of mysterious murders starts to increase, Vik, together with detective Ingvar Nyman, takes up the hunt for what appears to be a cold-blooded serial killer on a mission. Read more on www.rtlgroup.com Modus, a nail-biting contemporary thriller produced by Miso Film Sweden 9
STYLISH BEATS IP Network / StyleHaul IP Network Create, the newly formed digital arm of IP Network, launched a Christmas campaign in France, Germany and the UK with Beats, an Apple brand that mainly sells headsets and speakers. The YouTube campaign video content was developed by its sister company StyleHaul. Luxembourg / North America 12 February 2016 The deal was brokered by IP Network Create through Apple s media agency OMD International in London. StyleHaul delivered the campaign using their knowledge of the best vlogger talents to work with for Beats, and ensured the correct tone was delivered by StyleHaul s talents in their messages. The talents speak directly to the millennial generation, an extremely desirable audience for Apple. During the festive period, Beats ran a series of customised vlogger videos on YouTube with key influencers in the UK (video), France (video) and Germany (video) to promote their portable speaker product, the Beats Pill. The Beats campaign videos integrated the product in a fun and natural way, using the voice of three highly popular and authentic Vloggers: DNER in Germany, Marcus Butler in the UK and Pierre Croce in France. Click on the image to watch the French YouTuber Pierre Croce s video These talents used their own unique approaches to deliver the message that giving Beats products for Christmas was a foolproof way to make someone happy. They also promoted these YouTube videos through posts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Krane Jeffery, Head of Digital Solutions at IP Network Create, led the project and says: We are delighted to have secured the first multi-market advertising partner for RTL Group with our digital assets, and are particularly pleased to have done so with a brand as prestigious as Apple. Representing RTL Group s VOD, website and MCN portfolio to the market is a compelling offer with which we aim to build lots of momentum for this year in the international advertising community. James Stafford, SVP Europe at StyleHaul, adds: Having the opportunity to create such great video and social content across three markets simultaneously is a real achievement especially to have done it in such a short period of time. Having these capabilities, and delivering on a big promise to a big brand is exactly the reason we re so proud to be part of the RTL Group family! 10
NEW SITCOMS FOR RTL TELEVISION RTL Television The RTL Television s sitcom initiative is bearing fruit: starting in the spring of 2016, three new sitcoms with at least eight episodes each will be produced in Cologne and Berlin. Germany 15 February 2016 RTL Television / Christiane Pausch RTL Television / Michael Böhme RTL Television / Guido Engels Magda macht das schon Nichttotzukriegen The ideas emerged from a call for proposals through which RTL Television, for the first time, invited authors and producers to participate. From almost 330 submissions, seven ideas were selected for development; now, three sitcoms are being produced in Cologne and Berlin. Philipp Steffens, Head of RTL Fiction, says: We launched a nationwide sitcom pitch in 2014 which generated enormous response. We were overwhelmed with the many submissions and ideas, and it was not an easy task to make a selection. After an intensive and engaged development period with our creative partners, we are now pleased with the first three new sitcoms for which we will produce the first seasons this year. We hope to give new impulses for the genre with the new 30-minute shows, entirely in the tradition of successful sitcoms on RTL Television, and to fascinate the viewers with them. In Beste Schwestern (Best Sisters), the current working title of one of the sitcoms, two sisters master the challenges of life with their families, jobs and love but also deliver unforeseen entanglements. Mirja Boes and Sina Tkotsch play the lead roles in the Warner Production. Jochen Busse and Caroline Frier play the lead roles in the Pro-TV production Nichttotzukriegen (Just Will Not Die), also a preliminary working title. A wealthy and contemptible old man sells his villa to two naïve young couples. The only big catch, is that the former owner will maintain a lifelong right of residence. In the third sitcom produced by Polyphon preliminary title: Magda macht das schon (Magda Will Take Care Of It) an eastern European nurse (Verena Altenberger) becomes the indispensable center point of a torn-apart German family living in a big city. The broadcast dates for the sitcoms on RTL Television are to be set. Beste Schwestern 11
Luxembourg honours Liz Mohn On 15 February 2016, Liz Mohn, Vice-Chair of the Bertelsmann Stiftung s Executive Board and a member of the Bertelsmann Supervisory Board, was awarded the Commander s Cross of the Order of the Oak Crown of Luxembourg by the Luxembourgish Prime Minister Xavier Bettel. With the award, the Grand Duchy honours Liz Mohn s achievements for the maintenance and deepening of relations between the State of Luxembourg and Bertelsmann, which are especially embodied by Luxembourg-based RTL Group.
SHORT NEWS A keynote speech for a key industry event RTL Group Guillaume de Posch, Co-CEO of RTL Group, will deliver a keynote speech at MIPTV on 4 April 2016 in Cannes. He will speak about TV = total video. The digital transformation of RTL Group followed by a Q&A session. Click here for more information and stay tuned! Luxembourg 17 February 2016 Britain s favourite! FremantleMedia UK Britain s Got Talent took home the prize for Best Entertainment at the 2016 Broadcast Awards. The ceremony took place in London on 10 February 2016. Organised every year, Broadcast Awards celebrate the best of British TV. United Kingdom 12 February 2016 Topping the list Radio Contact / Bel RTL The radio ratings in Belgium for September-December 2015 show the leadership of RTL Group s brands: Radio Contact is the leader, with an audience share of 16.1 per cent and more than 1 million listeners per week, followed by Bel RTL, with a 14.4 per cent audience share. Belgium 15 February 2016 Military service is back on M6 M6 Is military discipline outdated? Not for everyone: Garde à Vous (Attention!), the programme that brings the military service of yesterday alive for today s youth, started on Tuesday 16 February at 20:55 on M6. The first episode attracted 21.5 per cent in the target group (housewives under 50 responsible for purchases). France 16 February 2016 From Napoli with love FremantleMedia Italy FremantleMedia s Wildside has stuck a deal with the Italian Fandango Productions to co-develop and co-produce the TV adaptation of Elena Ferrante s highly-acclaimed Neapolitan Novels which were recently added to The New York Times best 10 books of 2015. Italy 18 February 2016 13
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