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week 02 / 14 January 2016VEGAS, BABY!RTL Group’s presence at the CES 2016North AmericaNorth AmericaNorth AmericaAmerican Idol’sfinal seasonkicked offStyleHaulannounces newonline seriesBroadbandTV’sMajor Lazer videoclip passesa billion views
week 02 / 14 January 2016VEGAS, BABY!RTL Group’s presence at the CES 2016North AmericaNorth AmericaNorth AmericaAmerican Idol’sfinal seasonkicked offStyleHaulannounces newonline seriesBroadbandTV’sMajor Lazer videoclip passesa billion viewsCoverMontage with CES logo Geoff Livingston - Las VegasPublisherRTL Group45, Bd Pierre FriedenL-1543 LuxembourgEditor, Design, ProductionRTL GroupCorporate Communications & Marketingbefore oup.frbackstage.rtlgroup.de
QUICK VIEWAmerican Idol’s finalseason kicked offFremantleMediaNorth AmericaHUSTLE AND BUSTLEIN LAS VEGASp.12–13RTL Groupp.4–11StyleHaul announcesnew online seriesStyleHaulp.14BroadbandTV’sMajor Lazer video clippasses a billion viewsBroadbandTVp.15RTL Belgium relaunchesMint radio stationBig Picturep.18RTL Belgiump.16Enex welcomesa new memberSHORTNEWSp.17p.19EnexPEOPLEp.20–22
HUSTLE AND BUSTLEIN LAS VEGASLuxembourg – 14 January 2016RTL GroupReport on a visit to one of the world’s biggest consumer electronicsshows, RTL Group’s reception and panel discussionsIllustration of RTL Group at CES in Las Vegas4
It’s January in Las Vegas. Now that the hullabalooof New Year’s Eve has died down, few touristsremain in the city as the first visitors to the showstart arriving. Very quickly, though, the tourists findthemselves clearly outnumbered, because morethan 170,000 decision-makers and managers fromthe consumer electronics sector are descending onLas Vegas to attend what may well be the world’slargest consumer electronics show: CES 2016.Over an area covering in excess of 220,000 squaremetres spread across the entire city, more than3,600 exhibitors are displaying their latestinnovations. In addition, at a wide range of CESpanels and in keynote speeches, top managerslike StyleHaul CEO Stephanie Horbaczewski,BroadbandTV CEO Shahrzad Rafati; StyleHaulChief Content Officer Mia Goldwyn and BertelsmannDigital Media Investments Managing Director UrsCete report on their business activities.Although the show’s official start date is Wednesday9 January, by that time a fair number of events havealready taken place. And any visitors not already intown by Sunday or Monday face a severe weatherproblem, with Tuesday’s rain and fog causing majordelays at Las Vegas’s McCarran InternationalAirport. Many flights are cancelled altogether, andthose that aren’t face an average delay of aroundfour – and in extreme cases six – hours. This causesfrustration not only for travellers, but also for thosewaiting. Many meetings have to be called off, andnumerous events and receptions are attended byfewer participants than anticipated.Nonetheless, the cocktail reception organised byRTL Group and the RTL Digital Hub companiesStyleHaul, BroadbandTV, SpotX and VideoAmp iswarmly welcomed and hosts numerous high-rankingmanagers (see page 8). A great opportunity fornetworking.Marcel Reichart (right) with YouTube influencer iJustineat CES 2016“CES is the first global tentpole and agenda-settingevent for our industry and opportunity to connect tokey partners and clients. Together with the CEOsof the RTL Digital Hub, we were thrilled to kick-offCES 2016 with a joint invitation to our key businesspartners, industry peers and influencers and tofurther raise RTL Group’s profile in the US digital andbusiness community. We look forward to develop ourpresence in the next years,” says Marcel Reichart,Executive Vice President RTL Digital Hub.On Wednesday morning, things still seem relativelyquiet. The queue for taxis in front of the hotelis relatively short and the drive to The Venetiangoes pretty smoothly. But at the entrance of thehotel, it becomes clear that hordes of people arethronging to the opening keynote and finding away to the fifth floor is like finding a path through amaze. The venue can accommodate 7,500 people,and it certainly looks like that number have turnedup, because the place is packed.Long queue forming at The Venetian to enter the opening sessionNext 5
The show itself draws huge crowds, especially to thestands of companies offering virtual reality productslike Samsung Gear VR or Oculus Rift. Just next door,Virtuix is holding a virtual reality eSports tournament,and it’s really a rather strange – but also impressive– spectacle, watching the participants running onthe spot and pointing their guns.Long lines were already forming in the early morningGary Shapiro, President and CEO of the ConsumerElectronics Association which organises CES,welcomes the visitors: “CES represents innovation.Our industry is literally changing the world, a newworld where intelligence and data is the newcurrency.” He goes on to introduce the varioussectors presenting their latest wares at the show,revealing the innovations that will attract the mostattention at the event: 8K TVs, virtual reality,self-driving cars, drones, wearables and intelligentproducts.Reed Hastings, CEO of Netflix, kicks off hispresentation with a little history, making his standpointclear quite early on by saying that first there wasradio, then came television, followed by cableTV and now the Internet. Several times, Hastingsstresses the Internet’s importance for television,promising: “We can now put consumers in thedriver’s seat. Rapid innovations allow changing theway of storytelling.” Supposedly, during Q4 of 2015alone, 12 billion hours of content were watched onNetflix, though Hastings stops short of saying whichshows are especially popular or how often theyare viewed. What follows is like the presentationof a programme schedule by a TV channel: NetflixChief Content Officer Ted Sarrandos calls a fewcelebrities up onto the stage and shows trailers ofthe latest productions. Hastings then rounds off hiskeynote speech with another surprise, for during hispresentation the service was extended to even morecountries and is now available worldwide, with theexception of China. “You’ve witnessed the birth ofthe first global television network,” Hastings says.So, when all is said and done, it’s back at the startand afterall it’s still about TV.Visitors were eager to check out Virtual Reality themselvesOn a huge stand, TV manufacturers are showcasingthe latest trend in TV sets, where not only has theresolution risen to 8K (equivalent to 16 times fullHD resolution), but the contrast has also becomemuch richer, with more and more suppliers offeringHDR (high dynamic range) TV sets with more vividimages. There are also 3D TVs that work withoutviewers having to don 3D glasses, and a growingnumber of TV sets featuring organic light-emittingdiodes (OLEDs).An audible hum means that drones (or unmannedaerial vehicles, UAVs) aren’t far away. Luckily they’reall closed off behind nets and fences, because ifthey weren’t, the chaotic situation in the exhibitionhalls would descend into total mayhem. Nowadays,drones offer pretty much any features one mightthink of, including automatic collision-avoidancesystems and automatic target recognition routines.There are even combat UAVs which friends can useto play their very own ‘game of drones’.There isn’t much time to give everything a trybecause everywhere visitors have to stand inline for the next panel, meeting, dinner or otherengagement. However, there’s still just time to headoff to C Space, a side venue in the Aria Hotel, whereVideoAmp has a stand of its own.Next 6
VideoAmp booth at CES 2016“WE WERE THRILLED TOKICK-OFF CES 2016 WITH AJOINT INVITATION TO OUR KEYBUSINESS PARTNERS, INDUSTRYPEERS AND INFLUENCERSAND TO FURTHER RAISERTL GROUP’S PROFILE IN THE US”Click here to watch the Beet.TV series on CES 2016,presented by SpotXMarcel ReichartNext Panoramic view at CES 20167
NETWORKING IN LAS VEGASOn 5 January 2016, the RTL Digital Hub and its partner companies hosted a cocktail reception in Las Vegas withmore than 120 attendees – a fantastic way to round off the first day of the CES 2016 event.Together with StyleHaul, BroadbandTV, SpotX and VideoAmp, the RTL Digital Hub invited industry experts and businesspartners to join representatives from leading media and digital companies, such as Viacom, News Corp, AOL, Hulu,CBS Interactive or Ogilvy, and meet ‘CES Entertainment Matters Ambassadors’ iJustine and Joey Graceffa – vloggerssigned with StyleHaul.2134561: From left to right: Marcel Reichart, EVP RTL Digital Hub, with Krishan Bhatia, EVP Business Operations& Strategy at NBC Universal and Jimmy Maymann, President Content & Consumer Brands at AOL2: From left to right: George Musi, Managing Partner, Analytics & Insights at Mindshare; Ross McCray, CEO of VideoAmp;Jay Prasad, Chief Business Officer of VideoAmp and Tom Russel, Partner & Managing Director at Mindshare3: Sean Buckley (left), SVP Platform & Global Supply at SpotX and Randy Cooke, VP Programmatic TV at SpotX4: Mike Shehan, CEO of SpotX with Scott Ferber, CEO of Videology5: StyleHaul CEO Stephanie Horbaczewski (centre) with YouTube stars iJustine and Joey Graceffa6: Jeremiah Bates, CFO of StyleHaul; Tracy Crane, Chief Marketing Officer at StyleHaul; Mia Goldwyn, Chief Content Officerof StyleHaul and Rob DeChiaro, EVP and General Manager of The SHop at StyleHaul8
GET AN INSIGHT ON ‘MCNS BECOME MPNS’“YOU WANT TO BE PART OF THAT CONVERSATION”In one of the first panels of the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), StyleHaul CEO Stephanie Horbaczewskispoke about multi-channel network (MCN) business and underlined the importance of talent, premium content anddriving conversation.(from left to right):Urs Cete, Stephanie Horbaczewski, Mike Pusateri, Charles Segars, Sanjay Sharma and Adrian SextonTo start the conversation on the panel ‘MCNS Become MPNS*: The YouTube Phenomenon’, Bertelsmann DigitalMedia Investments (BDMI) Managing Director Urs Cete was asked how BDMI selects its targets. His answer was:“Essentially, we look at two kinds of companies: we like companies that are leaders in one domain and could moveinto other markets, but we also like companies that have proved their business model works on different platforms.”In the ensuing conversation, panelists agreed with Stephanie Horbaczewski, Co-Founder and CEO of StyleHaul,that the description ‘multi-channel network’ never really fits to any of those companies since they all serve a widerange of platforms: “What’s the biggest differentiator for us? Content. With StyleHaul we already serve multipleplatforms, but the key is finding the right platform for the right content.” Ultimately, this notion will become theleading driver of conversation. Stephanie Horbaczewski: “Conversation is important to our clients: we talk withbrands and recommend who they should work with, like who’s talking about them or who’s talking about the topicsthey want to be involved in.” Adrian Sexton, Interim President and COO of Endemol Beyond USA, added: “And thisis what makes MCNs unique: if you find 100,000 young girls discovering lipstick for the first time, as a lipstick brandyou want to be part of that conversation.”Sanjay Sharma, the CEO of All Def Digital, explained: “Ultimately, everything we are talking about is not toodifferent from the traditional model: we have the ability to create premium content, and with it we build audiences,build a brand, generate intellectual property and then work with the traditional model to sell advertising or rights.”Stephanie Horbaczewski added: “I think we will see a head-on collision between traditional TV and MCNs, but in agood way. There will be more and more collaboration instead of working against each other. New ways of fundingare emerging and we’re just getting started.”* MPN stands for multi-platform networkNext 9
GET AN INSIGHT ON BROADBANDTV“WE PLAN TO LAUNCH INTO FOUR NEW MARKETS”Andrew Wallenstein of Variety with Shahrzad Rafati, Founder and CEO of BroadbandTVOn 7 January 2016, Shahrzad Rafati, Founder and CEO of BroadbandTV, had a fireside chat with Andrew Wallensteinof Variety, as part of the CES 2016 conference. She explained how BroadbandTV seeks to maintain its leading valueproposition in all their verticals.To begin with, Shahrzad Rafati explained how BroadbandTV (BBTV) started out with a technological background asthe most advanced multi-channel network (MCN) on YouTube – and reached out into gaming and music verticals withTGN (Gaming), Opposition and Wimsic (both music). She said: “But it becomes more and more difficult to developverticals from scratch organically. That’s why we also looked into acquisitions and partnerships.” As examples shementioned the acquisition of YoBoHo, which operates the leading kids network HooplaKidz on YouTube. She wenton to explain how new verticals can also be formed as partnerships, like Windfall in collaboration with BMG orOutspeak in collaboration with Huffington Post which was launched in June 2015. “When we look at partnerships,we take care that they share a similar vision and are complementary to us,” Shahrzad Rafati said. In the case ofOutspeak Huffington Post brings in more than 200 million unique visitors and a pool of 100,000 contributors.“These partnerships are constantly evolving as the industry evolves,” she said. “We listen to our content creatorsand have ongoing discussions in these partnerships. They work well, and we definitely want to do more.”Shahrzad Rafati elaborated: “We need to understand that each value proposition needs to be unique for each vertical.It’s not one size fits all. For example: someone just getting started on YouTube will need different services from usthan a great influencer such as RCLBeauty101 who gained more subscribers than PewDiePie in October 2015.”Describing what traditional players can learn from BBTV’s success in digital, she said: “BroadbandTV has four keythemes that have worked for BBTV: first, cost efficient content models; second working with digital influencers tocapitalise on their community; third thinking beyond traditional advertising and fourth leveraging technology andapplying intelligence to make better decisions.”So far BroadbandTV is active in 15 markets. Shahrzad Rafati: “Every region has its own specifics, but some aresimilar to each other such as the Portuguese and the Spanish markets – in this case you need to apply theselearnings. For 2016, we plan to launch into four new markets, two of those are test markets for us, and in two wego ahead and launch our full offering.”Next 10
GET AN INSIGHT ON PROGRAMMINGFOR ONLINE VIDEO“THE MESSAGE IS CONSTANTLY ENHANCED”From left to right: Reena Liebling, Ann Greenberg, Nate Hayden, Adam Goldstein, Mia Goldwyn and Jonathan SkogmoOn 7 January 2016, StyleHaul’s Chief Content Officer Mia Goldwyn joined the panel ‘Programming for the newOVNs’, discussing how online video content can be designed to reach its audience and drive engagement.Nate Hayden, Vice President Original and Branded Entertainment at AOL, kicked off the discussion by stating thatcontent will be mostly defined by the platform it will be produced for. This could mean an eight minute video thatdrives about 80 per cent engagement might not work on a platform like Facebook unless it is shortened to abouttwo minutes. Mia Goldwyn said: “Over the past years we have seen an explosion of platforms which now allowsus to start production from the creator’s viewpoint and to see how we create the best experience for the user.”Referring to the StyleHaul’s original series Vanity which premiered in June 2015, Goldwyn explained how StyleHauluses data to increase user experience: “Initially we relied a lot on conversation on Twitter until we realised throughour usage data that the show worked better on other platforms. Usage data allows us to quickly enhance userexperience,” she said before explaining what kind of data this means: age, sex or location. “Privacy is very importantto us, we do not share any private information and have no intention to do so whatsoever.”Talking about branded entertainment, Goldwyn said: “Our creators touch the products they present every day. Wework with brands around product launches and chose those creators who would use these products anyhow, andthis makes the message authentic which is welcomed by our community.” The value of the approach to work closelywith creators and the community: branded entertainment is authentic, educational, aspirational and ultimately drivesengagement. “And this engagement is in our opinion more important than actual viewing figures. The message isconstantly enhanced,” Mia Goldwyn said.Next 11
A MILESTONE SEASON FOR A LANDMARK SERIESFremantleMedia North AmericaAmerican Idol’s farewell season kicked offon 6 January 2016 with auditions around thecountry. The show’s 15th season will celebratepast series and deliver a final hurrah that willserve as a tribute to the format.North America – 11 January 2016From left to right: host Ryan Seacrest with judges Jennifer Lopez, Harry Connick Jr. and Keith UrbanThe premiere of the format’s much-anticipated final season gaveviewers and the judges Keith Urban, Jennifer Lopez and Harry ConnickJr. a look of some of the performers who may be among the last batchof finalists, beginning with auditions in Atlanta and Denver. SuperstarKanye West also made a surprise appearance. It was watched by 10.9million viewers, achieving a 2.9 per cent audience share in the key 18to 49 demographic and was the night’s number one-rated programme.A global phenomenon, the show inspired a whole new generationof talent shows. “American Idol changed people’s lives. Not just thecontestants, not just me, but even the people watching, becauseit made them believe that they could do anything,” says one of thejudges Jennifer Lopez. “This being the farewell season, I feellike it’s going to be a fantastic year,” adds Harry Connick Jr. Theshow’s legacy has also been widely covered by the media includingNext 12
The Hollywood Reporter, Forbes.com, Varietyand many others. Variety wrote: “Fox’s AmericanIdol showed it’s still capable of drawing a sizableaudience as it kicked off its 15th and final seasonon Wednesday.”Click on the image to watch promos and videos of the farewell seasonFrom left to rightTop: Simon Cowell, Mel BBottom: Heidi Klum and Nick CannonForbes.com mentions: “When American Idolpremiered on Fox on June 11, 2002, it immediatelybecame a household name.” Since its launch,the series has consistently pushed boundaries.Whether it was record-breaking ratings, iconicbrand integration, pioneering telephone voting inits first season or introducing Google voting andTwitter Fan Save in this year’s show, American Idolhas always raised the bar. It also revolutionised popculture. Time analysed this influence by dedicatingan article on the seven ways American Idol hasinfluenced pop culture: “The premise of AmericanIdol put the star-making power traditionally held byindustry executives in the hands of its audience.That’s shaped the way a generation of music fanssupport their favourite musicians.”The show launched the careers of global starsincluding Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson, CarrieUnderwood, Daughtry, Jordin Sparks, ScottMcCreery and Phil Phillips to name but a few.Collectively American Idol contestants have soldover 61 million albums, registered 440 Billboardnumber ones with 77 contestants on the Billboardcharts and won 12 Grammy Awards. In honourof American Idol’s final auditions, Billboard’s IdolWorship looks back at the auditions of artists whogot their break on the singing competition: “Whocan forget the first time Carrie Underwood walkedinto that audition room? Or Chris Daughtry (SimonCowell said “no” if you can believe it!)? Or KellyClarkson, Jordin Sparks and Adam Lambert?”Howie Mandel, Mel B and Heidi Klum will return as judges toNBC’s top-rated summer competition series America’s GotTalent, joining previously announced new judge and Got Talentcreator Simon Cowell, while Nick Cannon will again assumehosting duties.13
A STYLISH RELATIONSHIPStyleHaulAs part of its newly minted partnership withVerizon’s Go90 platform (Backstage reported),StyleHaul has announced that its next scriptedseries Relationship Status will be releasedexclusively on Verizon’s mobile video platformin spring 2016.North America – 8 January 2016The dramedy, consisting of twelve interweaving episodes, willdocument the lives of a group of 20- to 30-somethings as they navigatethe complexities of dating and relationships in the modern age of socialmedia. Told through the lens of social storytelling, Relationship Statusis optimised for mobile consumption, utilising its medium to elevate itsmessage.Relationship Status is the second original scripted series fromStyleHaul, following last summer’s teen revenge drama Vanity.Relationship Status will star a highly engaged ensemble cast ofmore than 30, featuring a mix of traditional film and television talentalongside digital creators, including: Shawn Ashmore (X-Men: DaysOf Future Past, The Following), Emma Bell (The Walking Dead), BrantDaugherty (Pretty Little Liars), Willa Fitzgerald (Scream), Andy Gala(New Girl), Evan Gamble (The Vampire Diaries), Nicholas Grava (TheMentalist) and Milo Ventimiglia (Heroes, Gilmore Girls). Elizabeth AllenRosenbaum (Aquamarine, Gossip Girl) is directing from a script byCéline Geiger (The Lying Game). James Frey and Todd Cohen fromFull Fathom Five and Milo Ventimiglia and Russ Cundiff from DiVidePictures are executive producing, alongside StyleHaul.“Céline’s script does a phenomenal job of capturing the hilarity andcomplexity of dating in the digital age,” says Mia Goldwyn, ChiefContent Officer of StyleHaul. “We’re thrilled to partner with Full FathomFive and DiVide, as well an extremely talented group of actors to bringthis story to life on Verizon’s Go90 platform.”Mia Goldwyn, Chief Content Officer of StyleHaul“The effect the digital era has had on all of our relationships – how itconveniences them, complicates them, confuses them – is somethingI’ve wanted to explore through story for some time, taking full advantageof the very tools the story examines to tell the tale. I couldn’t ask forbetter partners in doing so than StyleHaul and Verizon’s Go90, and amhumbled by the creative team we’ve assembled both in front of andbehind the screen,” adds James Frey, Founder of Full Fathom Five.“We are excited to be in a relationship with StyleHaul and Go90.This project snaps into the zeitgeist of how people are connecting,disconnecting and hooking up in a wired world. It’s the perfect platformfor sharing with this generation and the next step in content creation,”says Milo Ventimiglia.14
REACHING ANOTHER MILESTONEBroadbandTVMajor Lazer’s Lean On video clip hasachieved a billion views on YouTube – the firstBroadbandTV partner to reach this mark andthe first video across RTL Group to achieve thislevel of success.North America – 12 January 2016The multi-channel network BroadbandTV welcomed Major Lazer, oneof the world’s most popular music groups, to its network in February2015 and since the beginning of the partnership Major Lazer has seenits views soar. Lean On is currently the 16th most watched video onYouTube to date and is the second video uploaded in 2015 to reachthe milestone of one billion views. It is also the third independent(non-Vevo) music video to achieve a billion views.In a news article on Tubefilter.com, Ali Adab, Vice President of Contentand Partnerships at BroadbandTV, says: “Achieving a billion views onYouTube is an incredible achievement and is testament to the focusthat Major Lazer has had on engaging with their fans, and growingtheir online audience. We’ve worked with Major Lazer for almost a yearand have provided the team with an end to end solution to help themcapitalise on their success and momentum, driving viewership andmonetisation across premium and fan uploaded content. The successthat Major Lazer has achieved signals to other music artists the powerof online video, they’ve actively utilised YouTube as a significant partof their distribution and engagement strategy and they are now reapingthe benefits.”Ali Adab, Vice President of Content andPartnerships at BroadbandTVIt took around 290 days to achieve one billion views, making it thefourth fastest video to reach a billion views after PSY’s Gangnam Style,Wiz Khalifa’s See You Again, and Taylor Swift’s Blank Space. Lean Onis the most streamed song on Spotify to date. In 2015, BroadbandTVmanaged five video assets that made the Billboard charts includingLean On which peaked at number four in the Billboard Hot 100.Watch the video clip of Lean On15
MINT, THE RADIO STATIONWITH A TANG OF FRESHNESSRTL BelgiumRTL Belgium’s pop rock radio station, whichgraced the airwaves with its own particularbrand of freshness between January 2007 andSeptember 2008, returned to the FM wavebandon 4 January 2016.Belgium – 5 January 2016Even after coming off air in September 2008, Mint – which attracted5.3 per cent of its target group of listeners aged between 30 and44 – remained widely available digitally, with 1,000 unique listenerstuning into the station every day. Mint is also available to 1.5 millionFrench-speaking households via cable, making it a recognised brandwith a distinctive pop rock format.Mint made a triumphant return on regional networks on4 January 2016 through Maximum FM in the province of Liège andMust FM in the provinces of Namur and Luxembourg. These radiostations broadcast Mint’s music whilst retaining their own regionalroots and identity by airing specific programmes with local appeal.Mint is aimed primarily at listeners in their thirties living in or aroundcities, who are inquisitive, committed, well-informed eco-responsiblecitizens and culture vultures. This target group will now rediscover aradio station that speaks to them, has a certain calculated bite and isboth cheeky and very much in tune with its time. Most of the music itplays dates from the 1990s and 2000s, with new music also getting alook-in of course.By broadcasting through the various provincial networks, Mint is takingback its rightful place as a radio station that brings a tang of freshnessto daily life.16
ON SOLID GROWTHEnexLNK, Lithuania’s most popular TV channel,takes Enex, the international news provider’stotal membership to 53. LNK is part of theprivately-owned MG Baltic Group.Luxembourg – 7 January 2016LNK News Director, Rolandas Agintas, who attended Enex’s 2015General Assembly in Paris, says: “LNK is delighted to be part of a teamof leading broadcasters around the world. We see great opportunitiesahead for strong international coverage.”Enex’s Managing Director Adrian Wells adds: “There are very fewcountries in Europe where Enex does not have a member so it isparticularly important for Enex to complete the remaining pieces ofour partner jigsaw puzzle. We are very proud to have our first Balticstation.”The Baltic region has attracted significant economic and political interestover recent years as conflict in Ukraine has provoked concern aboutthe Baltic region’s security. LNK stands for Laisvas ir NepriklausomasKanalas (Free And Independent Channel) and is part of theprivately-owned MG Baltic Group. Founded in 1995, LNK has sisterchannels TV1, Info TV, Likus and BTV.Rolandas AgintasAdrian Wells17
Backon stagefor a greatcausePresenters and journalistsfrom RTL-TVI and Bel RTL –among them Caroline Fontenoy,Frédéric Bastien, Thomas deBergeyck, Sandrine Dans andStephan van Bellinghen – are performingin Toc Toc, a theatrical play writtenby Laurent Baffie and directed forTélévie by Jean-Paul Andret. Kicked offon 9 January 2016, the tour acrossBelgium aims to collect fundsfor cancer research.Wish to support the cause?Learn how by visiting www.televie.be
SHORT NEWS1/1Women at the topRTL GroupIn a recently published study by audit and consultancycompany Ernst & Young regarding the number of womenholding management positions at DAX-listed companies,Co-CEO of RTL Group Anke Schäferkordt is the only womanholding a CEO position among the 160 DAX companies.Luxembourg – 8 January 2016Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland launches aglobal channelMediendgruppe RTL DeutschlandOn 18 January 2016, Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland will launch thebrand new channel RTL International, which will offer Germans livingabroad a wide range of RTL Television formats in HD. Learn more inthe upcoming Backstage weekly newsletter to be publishedon 21 January 2016.Germany – 5 January 2016Boosting the talent poolM6M6 Digital Talents will launch in January and February 2016 two newYouTube channels: Dot Move will offer dance-centred content to a wideaudience, while Vloggist will target women through content created byfive beauty and style influencers.France – 6 January 2016In the land of successRTL NederlandDuring its first year as an online video subscription service, Videolandsaw its customer base grow by more than 200 per cent. As a result,Videoland now occupies a solid second place in the video-on-demand(VOD) market in the Netherlands.The Netherlands – 7 January 2016Two reasons to celebrateUFA FictionOriginally commissioned by RTL Television, the UFA Fiction productionDeutschland 83 has been nominated for the German award GoldeneKamera in the category ‘Best German Multi-Part Production’. It hasalso been successfully launched on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom,making it the highest rated foreign-language drama in UK TV history.Germany – 8 January 201619
PEOPLEURSULASCHMIDTRTL GroupLuxembourg – 12 January 2016RTL Group has announced the promotion ofUrsula Schmidt to Executive Vice President Audit andCompliance, effective 1 January 2016. In this capacity,she will continue to report to the Executive Committee andthe Audit Committee of RTL Group.With increasingly stringent audit and compliancerequirements and RTL Group’s diversified and rapid
Chief Content Officer Mia Goldwyn and Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments Managing Director Urs Cete report on their business activities. Although the show's official start date is Wednesday 9 January, by that time a fair number of events have already taken place. And any visitors not already in town by Sunday or Monday face a severe weather
