he’s back - rtl group · programme from the uk. north america - 22 september 2011 paula abdul and...

week 38

22 September 2011

He’s backSimon Cowell and FremantleMedia North America launch The X Factor in the US

FranceGroupe M6 promotes tomorrow’s trades The NetherlandsRTL Nederland launchesThe Voice Of Holland Radio

FranceParis Première presentsnew schedule CroatiaRTL Televizija unveils season programming

the RTL Group intranetweek 38

Cover: Simon Cowell, judge and Executive Producer of the US version of The X Factor.

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“I walked away from the number one show in America to launch a brand-new show,” says Simon Cowell. Now, he’s back on US television and he’s not alone: Paula Abdul, Nicole Scherzinger and L.A. Reid will join him in looking for the next global superstar or breakout music group.

Paula Abdul, who worked with Simon on American Idol, is one of the most-recognised pop singers and choreographers in film, television, video, stage and live tours. Nicole Scherzinger is a singer, songwriter, actress, performer and the former lead singer of The Pussycat Dolls. The group’s debut album went double-platinum in America and sold over 9 million copies worldwide. And L.A. Reid is a world-famous music producer, former Chairman of Island Def Jam Records and has launched and shaped careers for Whitney Houston, Bobby Brown, Madonna, Mariah Carey, Justin Bieber and others.

Together the four judges have traveled the US searching for undiscovered talent 12 years old or over – solo artists or vocal groups – who are worthy of the largest prize in television history: a staggering $5 million recording contract with Sony Music. Cowell: “Sony is putting $5 million of their money into backing a completely unknown winner – the whole thing is a gamble.”

In an interview in Piers Morgan Tonight on CNN, Simon Cowell said “It is the biggest moment of my career and I kind of knew what I was getting involved in before we did this, but you are never quite prepared for it: the week before, the night before it is kind of terrifying.”

The competitionIn the US, candidates audition in front of the four judges and an audience of 3,000 to 4,000 people. During this phase of the competition, the contestants will face the panel of judges and a live audience as they are judged on their singing and overall performance style.

Paula Abdul says: “It’s always interesting when people come to an X Factor or an Idol audition and they just wake up and say: ‘I think I am talented and I’m just gonna go and audition.’ Have you ever performed on a stage? ‘No, I performed in front of my family.’ It just doesn’t work that way. If you really believe in yourself and you know you have the talent, you have to go out there and you have to deliver. That’s the way it is. You have to prepare, prepare, prepare. When you have the talent and the opportunity it works.”

“The whole thing is a gamble”With the first episode broadcast on 21 September, FremantleMedia’s The X Factor has come to the US, and Simon Cowell intends to repeat the success story of the highly popular programme from the UK.North America - 22 September 2011

Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell

The judges: L.A. Reid, Nicole Scherzinger, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell

(from left to right)


4Thousands of people attended the auditions for the X Factor

Nicole Scherzinger agrees: “I actually started on a show like this over a decade ago. I went through the entire audition process. I got there at 4:00 in the morning. I waited in line – I lived it and I still live it.” She’s sure that candidates who really have the talent don’t need much time to convince the jury, while others always try to stay longer: “Five minutes is a lot of time. I think you know within seconds whether or not somebody has that ‘X Factor’.”

Those who make the cut go through “Boot Camp” in hopes of earning a place in one of four categories: young males, young females, singers over 30 or groups. The judges then find out which category they will mentor, and the contestants from each of those categories will visit the judges’ homes on their road to the live shows.

During a special extended Tuesday airing on 25 October, the judges will reveal who has earned one of the 12 coveted spots among the season’s finalists. It will then be up to the viewers, as well as the judges, to decide who moves forward in the competition starting with the first performance show featuring the finalists from each category on 2 November. The grand finale takes place just a few days before Christmas, with the live show airing on 21 December and the final results show on 22 December. Says Cowell: “The finalists have to show that they are more than just singers, that they are entertainers and that they can stand their ground in the real world, where they have to compete with the likes of Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Beyoncé. And that’s what this whole show is designed for – to prepare people for what happens outside this competition.”

In addition to the competition, The X Factor winner(s) will join the ranks of other pop music legends such as Michael Jackson, Madonna and Justin Timberlake by starring in a Pepsi commercial to be aired during Super Bowl 2012. Last year’s game was the most-watched television programme in US history averaging 111 million viewers.

“For decades, Pepsi has put musical talent in its commercials on TV’s biggest stage – the Super Bowl,” says Frank Cooper, Chief Consumer Engagement Officer of Pepsi Co Americas Beverages. “Pepsi has a long history of being the curator, creator and catalyst of exciting, new music; and The X Factor partnership is a great way for us to continue to bring fresh musical talent to new generations.”

A successful format“We’re thrilled to finally bring this incredibly successful format to an American audience,” says Cecile Frot-Coutaz, CEO of FremantleMedia North America and Executive Producer of the show. “The process of making this show in the US has been thrilling and challenging at the same time. We are extremely proud of the end result and hope viewers will be as excited as we are.”

The X Factor is on air in over 25 countries, among them its homeland, the UK, as well as the Netherlands and Germany. Last December, the finale of season seven scored an audience share of 65 per cent in the UK. Season eight has been on air since 20 August 2011. Globally, X Factor artists have sold more than 100 million CDs.

Cecile Frot-Coutaz

More information:

TheXFactorUSA.com

Facebook.com/TheXFactorUSA

Twitter.com/TheXFactorUSA


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Sharing experience lies at the heart of the programming provided by Groupe M6. Thus, in each short programme, J’ai testé un métier qui recrute (I tested a trade that is recruiting), hosts from the group each spent a day walking around in the shoes of a professional exercising one of these trades. In these one-minute reports, 17 hosts and journalists (Jérôme Antony, Dominique Chapatte, Sandrine Corman, Estelle Denis, Stéphane Plaza, and others), test and report on 32 trades, including that of fishmonger, chimney sweep, furniture remover, nurse, dog-handler, nurseryman, sporting coach, assistant accountant, and more.

Airing on Groupe M6 channels since 12 September 2011, the 32 programmes are designed to present a trade of the future on a path rich in opportunities. In the current economic climate, Groupe M6 in partnership with Pôle emploi proves its intention to keep the general audience informed on the jobs that are recruiting. The objective is not only to identify these jobs but also to make them appreciated in an entertaining and educational way.

The 32 programmes are airing on all Groupe M6 channels and video sites from 12 September to 2 November 2011.

Promoting tomorrow’s trades With unemployment rates reaching exceptional levels, Groupe M6, in partnership with the French government agency Pôle emploi, is rallying to promote the trades of the future – trades too often forgotten. France - 16 September 2011

I tested a trade that is recruiting


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The new music channel runs the best songs of the first season – both by the winners and the candidates who didn’t make it to the live shows. Starting on 26 September – after the first episode of the new season of The Voice Of Holland has aired on TV – it will also feature songs by the new voices. The Voice Of Holland Journaal provides exclusive updates on the show and the candidates. The station will continue to be on air after the finale of The Voice Of Holland.

Barry Paf is the voice of the new digital radio, which was jointly developed by Radio 538 and Talpa. The Voice Of Holland Radio can be accessed on Webradio.nl.

The Voice Of Holland now on radio, tooRTL 4 is about to air the first episode of season two of The Voice Of Holland. On this occasion, a new online radio station made its debut: The Voice Of Holland Radio.The Netherlands - 20 September 2011

The Jury: Nick and Simon, van Velzen, Angela Groothuizen

and Jeroen van der Boom with host Martin Krabbé (from left to right)

The Voice Of Holland Radio can be accessed on Webradio.nl


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“Over the last 25 years, we have striven to air new, original, different programmes; programmes that are true to the image that Paris Première has cultivated since its launch. This season, its 26th, will pursue that same objective,” explains Jacques Expert, Programme Director of Paris Première.

Among the channel’s new arrivals is Guillaume Durand, who will present Rive droite, a weekly dinner-time talk show that will gather together celebrities, politicians, writers and artists in his apartment in the chic Rive Droite area of Paris. Meanwhile, that most formidable pair of polemicists on the French audiovisual scene, the two Erics, Zemmour and Naulleau, will be fronting a new programme recorded in front of a live audience in which they will cast their eagle eyes over current affairs in the presence of numerous studio guests.

Viewers will also be happy to find their favourite magazines back again: Paris Dernière, presented by the writer Philippe Besson, will resume his nocturnal exploration of various haunts in Paris, interviewing the people he encounters there. The programme’s camera team will also head off to cover major events in leading cities of the world, starting with the 2012 Olympic Games in London. On the culture show Ça balance à Paris, Eric Naulleau and his associates will be back to present their critical appraisal of literary, film and theatre news. Meanwhile, Jérôme de Verdière and his

team will also return for a fifth season of their critical press review show La revue de presse, as ever scrutinising the latest political events.

Paris Première will also be airing two brand new TV series that have never been shown in France before: The Killing, an American remake of a Danish cop show, and Boardwalk Empire, a crime drama produced by Martin Scorsese. In addition, film buffs will find plenty of classics with or by Lino Ventura, Jean Gabin or Quentin Tarantino to watch for the first time or enjoy again.

“New, original, different programmes”Paris Première unveiled its schedule for the new season. This autumn the classy cultural channel is already in festive mood, because it will celebrate its 25th birthday on 15 December.France - 21 September 2011

Guillaume Durand

Jacques Expert


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As usual, the channel will provide live coverage of a number of shows with Guy Bedos, Michael Gregorio or Michèle Laroque, and it will also schedule special weeks with stars including the entertainer Elie Semoun (Paris Première will be a partner for his next show). Finally, the channel will cover numerous spectacles, such as the Miss World competition, evenings devoted specially to Abba and Benoît Poelvoorde, as well as fashion shows by top designers and high-street labels.

To celebrate the channel’s first quarter century, it has scheduled a unique line-up of programmes between now and December. Accordingly, Paris Première will air a documentary series about the creation of 25 works of art specially created to honour its anniversary, focussing on eight of the channel’s main themes: culture, cinema, night-time, the art of lifestyle, live spectacles, sport, fashion and humour. The creators of these works include the stylists Karl Lagerfeld and Jean-Charles de Castelbajac and fashion photographer Ali Mahdavi. Furthermore, the channel will premiere a documentary on the greatest moments since its launch and screen a cycle of films from the 1980s, when Paris Première first burst onto the French TV scene.

Being a channel of opinions, Paris Première will naturally be covering the 2012 presidential election, filling its news with lively, imaginative debates and coverage of the secret sides of the campaign.

Paris Première had a tremendous season in 2010/11, which enabled it to score 0.9 per cent audience share on the cable and satellite platforms and to become the most popular pay-TV channel, attracting nearly 15 million viewers every month. Broadcast via cable, satellite and ADSL, as well as being available on digital terrestrial television (DTT), it will soon take up the challenge of embracing new technologies, becoming available on new media and providing viewers with a catch-up TV and VOD platform.

Eric Zemmour and Eric Naulleau (right)


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RTL Hrvatska’s programme presentation took place on 15 September in a big tram maintenance hall in Zagreb in front of 800 clients, media agencies and journalists. In line with the claim “Enjoy the ride in 2011”, all guests were brought to the presentation area with the specially branded trams.

Johannes Züll, CEO of RTL Hrvatska, says: “2010/11 has been a great season for us. Despite the fragmentation, we recorded the high-est growth of all three TV groups and grew our prime-time audience share to almost 29 per cent. In the new season, local programmes will make highest proportion of prime time programme on RTL Televizija. We now have local programmes every day from 17:00 to 21:00, more than ever before. This is a big investment in these continuing difficult times, but it is part of our strategy to become ever more local in our programming. With a new news show at 5 to 5, news will be extended prior to the general election”.

Local productions include the daily series Ruža vjetrova which is produced in cooperation with FremantleMedia, new episodes of Ljubav je na selu (Farmer Wants A Wife) and Večera za 5 (Come Dine With Me), Javne tajne (Secrets), Gallileo, and Krv nije voda (Thicker Than Blood).

Announced was Survivor that will be the biggest regional reality project in spring 2012, hosted by Antonija Blaće. In total, 22 celebrities from the whole region will participate in the ‘game’ of survival. Their adventures from Costa Rica will be followed for 60 days. The project will be done in cooperation with Prva srpska televizija, from Belgrade, Serbia.

RTL Televizija has also lined up new seasons of popular US series like Mentalist, Hawaii 5-0, CSI:NY, CSI Miami, Desperate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy and Bones.

Enjoy the rideRTL Hrvatska presents its new programming line-up in Zagreb.Croatia - 22 September 2011

Johannes Züll

Andreas Rudas, Christoph Mainusch, Ivan Lovrecek and Hans Mahr (from left to right)

Johannes Züll with stars of RTL Hrvatska


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In Bangladesh, each year over 400 girls and women suffer a cruel fate: young men driven by revenge or unrequited love throw acid into their faces. Many victims remain disfigured for life. Unicef supports the medical and psychological care of victims and publicly campaigns against violence directed towards girls. In her report, RTL II News presenter Sandra Thier visits institutions that provide care for acid victims.

Corrosive liquids are easy to obtain. And as the attacks are often perpetrated on women after dark, they also often affect their children. At a hospital in the capital Dhaka, doctors and nurses are trained to treat victims locally. They learn to give medical and psychological care to help victims get over their trauma and reorganise their lives, because they receive almost no help from the state. The victims are marginalised and often face a futile struggle for justice. In the past, perpetrators have usually not been prosecuted and were allowed to go unpunished.

On the road in BangladeshRTL II News presenter Sandra Thier has set out to draw attention to a form of violence that is all but unknown in Europe. In a moving documentary she tells of women who became victims of acid attacks.Germany - 16 September 2011

Sandra Thier (right) went to Bangladesh...

...to report on acid attacks on women

Come dine with me…

says the Minister

On France’s national day of gastronomy,

23 September 2011, at 17:35 ‘Un Dîner presque

parfait’ welcomes a participant unlike any other

– Frédéric Mitterand, the Minister of Culture and

Communication. The Minister, who of course

is not in the competition, will be preparing

his courses, cooking, setting the table and

receiving his guests with a great deal of

humour and pleasure.


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A new all-time record for Scènes de ménagesDuring the week of 12 to 17 September 2011, Scènes de ménages on M6 gathered 3.5 million viewers on average, thus setting a new all-time record.France - 20 September 2011

Clipfish enhances Android appsThe extensive Clipfish app range with more than 50,000 professionally produced video clips will be available via a free Clipfish Android app from the beginning of October.Germany - 20 September 2011

Das Supertalent starts wellThe two opening episodes of Das Supertalent (Got Talent) broadcast by RTL Television on 16 and 17 September attracted up to 9.09 million viewers.Germany - 19 September 2011

100% Mag: the mobility specialThe lifestyle magazine 100% Club, which aired last season on Club RTL, changed its name and moved to RTL-TVI. This first edition was devoted to mobility.Belgium - 19 September 2011

Casting call goes out for Das perfekte ModelIn spring of 2012, Vox will begin broadcasting the all-new model talent show Das perfekte Model – with a panel of international judges and plenty of Vox appeal.Germany - 19 September 2011

A new look – and more convenienceRTL Interactive has given RTL Television’s homepage RTL.de a newly designed news section and a fresher, clearer layout.Germany - 16 September 2011


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Bringing its listeners David Guetta and LMFAOFun Radio launched a new publicity campaign with David Guetta and LMFAO.France - 20 September 2011

Experience top events liveRTL Interactive is launching the new online ticket shop ‘RTL Tickets’. For the first time, viewers can quickly and easily get tickets for comedy shows and big TV events via RTL.de.Germany - 21 September 2011

Tony Parker turns coach M6Tony Parker is the new basketball coach of a team of teenagers in Baskup, a new animated series on M6.France - 21 September 2011

Eating out made easyCouverts.nl is whetting Dutch appetites for eating out. Since 21 September, reserving a table for a relaxing dinner has been made even easier.The Netherlands - 22 September 2011

A ‘second screen’ app soon availableRTL Newmedia – the digital entity of RTL Belgium – unveiled the latest features coming out of its hub of activity this season, including the upcoming launch of a ‘second screen’ app for I-Phone and I-Pad.Belgium - 22 September 2011


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People

Thomas van Hamme comes to Bel RTLFrance - 16 September 2011

Since 19 September, Bel RTL listeners awake to Thomas van Hamme on Bel RTL Matin, the morning news programme co-hosted by Barbara Merthens, weekdays from 7:00 to 8:30. He is replacing Thomas de Bergeyeck, who will now devote himself to the weekly programme Place Royale on RTL-TVI. Following Bel RTL Matin, Thomas van Hamme took the helm of La Bel Equipe, a new magazine show airing weekdays from 8:30 to 9:30. La Bel Equipe covers what’s hot in culture and recreation in a spirit of good humour and conviviality. Thomas van Hamme and his “Bel Equipe” of columnists take turns closely examining everything making a buzz in Belgium and around the world.

Bel RTL listeners will also find Thomas van Hamme on television, hosting the magazine show Tout s’explique as from 6 October on RTL-TVI, and soon presenting the special-event programme J’aime mon pays (I Love My Country). Before joiningRTL Belgium for the debut of the 2011/12 season, Thomas van Hamme worked as a television and radio presenter at RTBF and on Viva Cité, among other things.

Thomas van Hamme

http://backstage.rtlgroup.frhttp://backstage.rtlgroup.comhttp://backstage.rtlgroup.de

PublisherRTL Group

45, Bd Pierre Frieden

L-1543 Luxembourg

Editor, Design, Production

RTL Group

Corporate Communications

he’s back - rtl group · programme from the uk. north america - 22 september 2011 paula abdul and...

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