RTL
Group S.A., the largest European broadcaster based in Luxembourg,
was created in Spring 2000 following the merger of CLT-UFA
S.A., the TV and radio group owned by Bertelsmann AG (with
the German newspaper group WAZ) and the Belgian-Canadian
Groupe Bruxelles Lambert S.A. (GBL), with the British production
company Pearson TV owned by the UK-based media group Pearson
plc.
CLT-UFA
S.A. was created in January 1997 following the 1996 agreement
between Audiofina S.A. and Bertelsmann AG on the combination
of their radio and television interests and their activities
related to the production and distribuiton of audiovisual
rights in Europe. CLT-UFA S.A. was formed with the contribution
by Bertelsmann TV und Filmverwaltungs GmbH of UFA Holding
GmbH on January 13, 1997 to CLT S.A. The Compagnie Luxembourgeoise
de Télédiffusion (CLT) was incorporated under
the laws of Luxembourg on May 30, 1931 as Radio Luxembourg.
In
July 2001, Bertelsmann AG became majority shareholder of
RTL Group S.A. following a stock swap with GBL in which GBL
changed its 30 per cent stake in RTL Group against a 25 per
cent stake in Bertelsmann AG. In December 2001, Bertelsmann
entered into an agreement with Pearson plc to acquire its
22 per cent stake in RTL Group, raising Bertelsmann’s
interest in RTL Group to 90.2 per cent, through Bertelsmann
53.2% and BWTV 37%. Bertelsmann has 80% of BWTV and WAZ the
other 20%. The remaining 9.8 per cent of RTL Group are publicly
traded.
Bertelsmann
AG is a non-public stock corporation. At present, its shareholders
are the Bertelsmann Foundation, Groupe Bruxelles Lambert
and the Mohn family. Bertelsmann has signed an agreement
with the Zeit Foundation that will enable a step-by-step
buyback of shares held by the latter. Once this has been
achieved, the capital shares will be held by three shareholders:
the Bertelsmann Foundation (57.6%), the Mohn family (17.3%)
and Groupe Bruxelles Lambert (25.1%, of which 0.1% are non-voting
shares). The voting rights held by the Bertelsmann Foundation
and the Mohn family are exercised by Bertelsmann Verwaltungsgesellschaft
(BVG). BVG will then control 75% of voting rights, while
Groupe Bruxelles Lambert will control 25%.
RTL´s
divisions are television, content (FremantleMedia), radio
and new media. RTL´s pricipal business and undertakings
in television and content are:
|
TELEVISION |
CONTENT |
|
Free
TV |
TV
Services |
Production |
Rights |
Germany |
|
|
RTL
Television |
100% |
CBC |
100% |
UFA
Film & TV Produktion |
100% |
BMG
Video |
100% |
|
RTL
II |
35.9% |
|
|
Trebitsch
Produktion Holding |
64% |
|
|
|
VOX |
99.7% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Super
RTL |
50% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
RTL
Shop |
100% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
France |
|
|
M6 |
45.2% |
|
|
Be
Happy |
100% |
Sportfive |
44.4% |
|
RTL
9 |
35% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Netherlands |
|
|
RTL
4 |
100% |
|
|
Holland
Media House |
|
|
|
|
Yorin |
100% |
|
|
|
100% |
|
|
|
RTL
5 |
100% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Belgium |
|
|
RTL
TVI |
66% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Club
RTL |
66% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Luxembourg |
|
|
RTL
Télé Lëtzebuerg |
100% |
BCE |
100% |
Delux
Production |
100% |
CLT-UFA
International |
100% |
|
|
|
ENEX |
69.3% |
|
|
|
|
United
Kingdom |
|
|
Five |
64.6% |
LPC |
100% |
Thames
Television |
100% |
FremantleMedia |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Alomo |
100% |
Enterprises |
100% |
|
|
|
|
|
Talback
Productions |
100% |
|
|
Spain |
|
|
Antena
3 |
17.2% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hungary |
|
|
RTL
Klub |
49% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Australia |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Grundy |
100% |
|
|
RTL TELEVISION
RTL
TELEVISION was launched on January, 1984 as RTLplus and on
January 1st, 1993 it adopted its current name. It´s
currently the most watched television channel in Germany
with 14.8% of total viewers and a market share of 17.9 per
cent among the 14-to-49 age group. RTL is a general entertainment
channel with news programs, sport, game shows, series and
movies. Other activities of RTL Television are the RTL School
of Journalism, RTL Creation (a marketing and design agency)
and the homeshopping channel RTL SHOP in partnership with
RTL NEWMEDIA and M6 (which was launched in March 2001). RTL
TELEVISION is run by RTL Television GmbH.
RTL
II
RTL
II was launched in 1993 and it has a team of 110 people.
RTL II is run by RTL II Fernsehen GmbH & Co.KG opera
RTL II and its shareholders are:
RTL Group |
35.9% |
Heinrich
Bauer Verlag KG |
31.5% |
Tele München
Fernseh GmbH & Co. Medienbeteiligung KG. |
31.5% |
Burda GmbH |
1.1% |
VOX
VOX
was launched on December 20th, 1991 and was relaunched in
1995. It´s the Group´s third general entertainment
channel in Germany with 3.1% of total viewers and a market
share of 4.3% among the 14to-49 group. VOX is run by VOX
Film & Fernseh GmbH & Co.KG (previously named Westschienenkanal
Film und Fernseh GmbH & Co. KG). Following the purchase
by the Group, in 2000, of the stakes held in the channel
by News Corp (49.9%) and Canal Plus (24.9%) in VOX, the equity
of VOX Film &
Fernseh GmbH & Co.KG is held by:
RTL Television GmbH |
49.9% |
RTL Group S.A. |
49.8% |
DCTP |
0.3% |
|