RTL 4

RTL 4
Launched	October 2, 1989
Network	RTL Nederland
Owned by	RTL Group
Picture format	576i (PAL) 16:9 1080i(HDTV)
Audience share	17,0% (2009, )
Slogan	"Natuurlijk RTL 4" (Naturally RTL 4)
Country	Luxembourg
Broadcast area	Netherlands
Headquarters	Hilversum, Netherlands and Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
Formerly called	RTL Véronique (until 1990)
Sister channel(s)	RTL 5, RTL 7, RTL 8
Timeshift service	RTL Television
Website	www.rtl4.nl
Availability
Terrestrial
Digitenne	Channel 4
Satellite
Astra 1H	11843H27500 Channel 4
Cable
Ziggo	Channel 4
UPC	Channel 4
CAIW	Channel 4
Kabel Noord	Channel 4
IPTV
KPN	Channel 4
Tele2Vision	Channel 4

RTL 4 is a commercial television station in the Netherlands. It is the most-watched commercial station in the country, popular especially with those aged between 20 and 49. The station has three sister tv channels: RTL 5, RTL 7 (previously Yorin) and RTL 8 (previously Tien / Talpa). From May 1991 until September 2006, the station has had several accompanying radio stations, such as RTL4 Radio, RTL Radio, RTL Rock Radio, Happy RTL, and RTL FM. Since October 1, 2007 it owns Radio 538, one of the largest radio stations of the Netherlands.

It originally launched on the Astra 1A satellite as RTL Veronique on October 2, 1989, before re-branding as RTL 4 (after 1, 2 and 3 were already used by the Netherlands' public broadcasters) the next year. It was one of the first private commercial broadcaster in the Netherlands. Officially, it still broadcasts from Luxembourg (private broadcasters were not allowed to originate from the Netherlands until 1992). The encryption system employed by both RTL 4 and 5 analogue services whilst on the Astra 1A and 1C satellites was Luxcrypt. This standard was employed (mainly on the English language programmes carried with Dutch subtitles) in order to protect the distribution rights sold by foreign studios to RTL.

RTL 4 broadcasts the first and the longest soap of the Netherlands, Goede Tijden, Slechte Tijden since October 1, 1990.

RTL 4's latest radical change of programming was on 18 August 2007 when RTL obtained the most important sport-soccer rights (Eredivisie,But loses the right in 2008 to the NOS. Hits on RTL 4 include the Evening News (RTL Nieuws), Editie NL, RTL Boulevard and the Saturday Night Family Show Ik Hou Van Holland. Idols was also very popular.

RTL 4 plans to become a family favourite on Saturday night with Idols, X Factor, Dancing with the Stars and Dancing on Ice, but failed with this show, and began in 2008 with Ik Hou Van Holland, a quiz-show around and about the Netherlands with Linda De Mol. The show is very popular, and still running with a seventh season coming begin 2011.

From 2009, the X-Factor has been re-scheduled successfully to Friday night with higher ratings in Season 2 (2009) and Season 3 (2010) on Friday. In 2010, RTL4 took the rights over from SBS6 for broadcasting Holland's Got Talent and create in the Autumn together with John De Mol their own Talent show The Voice of Holland, with ratings around 3 million viewers every Friday Night is this the most successful talent show ever on Dutch Television.^{[citation needed]}

RTL 4 plans to become more interactive with its viewers with Life 4 You episodes shown on Sunday afternoons, on the relaunched network.

RTL 4 also bought the rights for the soaps As the World Turns and The Bold and the Beautiful. In January 2007, RTL sold the rights to B&B to SBS6, but sold the rights back in December 2010. With more money and space to buy other tv shows, RTL 4 bought the rights for the successful drama show Brothers & Sisters and took over CSI: Miami.

Current TV show hosts

• Cynthia Abma (2006–present)
• Margreet Beetsma (2007–present)
• Reinier van den Berg (1989–present)
• Herman den Blijker (2004–present)
• Wilson Boldewijn (2008–present)
• Corine Boon (2000, 2002–present)
• Suzanne Bosman (1999–present)
• Sanne Boswinkel (2005–present)
• Carlo Boszhard (1993–present)
• Froukje de Both (2006–present)
• Robert ten Brink (2006–present)
• Nicolette van Dam (2008–present)
• Wendy van Dijk (2006–present)
• Esther Duller (2003–present)
• Winston Gerschtanowitz (2005, 2007–present)
• Stella Gommans (1995–present)
• Angela Groothuizen (2009–present)
• Gordon (2007–present)
• Roelof Hemmen (2001–present)
• Lodewijk Hoekstra (2005–present)
• Geert Hoes (2009–present)
• Jan de Hoop (1989–present)
• Tim Immers (2006–present)
• Sander Janson (2002–present)
• Martijn Krabbé (1995–present)
• Daphne Lammers (2004–present)
• Jeroen Latijnhouwers (1998–present)
• Helga van Leur (1997–present)
• Lieke van Lexmond (2008–present)
• Char Margolis (2002–2008, 2010-)
• Jessica Mendels (2008–present)
• Linda de Mol (2007–present)
• Irene Moors (1989–present)
• Rick Nieman (1996–present)
• Derek Ogilvie (2007–present)
• Epco Ongering (2004–present)
• Chimène van Oosterhout (2008–present)
• Antoin Peeters (2002–present)
• René Pluijm (2009–present)
• Joris Putman (2007–present)
• Margot Ribberink (1993–present)
• Sandra Schuurhof (2008–present)
• Vivian Slingerland (2004–present)
• Jet Sol (2006–present)
• Margreet Spijker (1999–present)
• Jack Spijkerman (2009–present)
• Evelyn Struik (2008–present)
• Humberto Tan (2007–present)
• Peter Timofeeff (1997–present)
• Quinty Trustfull (2006, 2008–present)
• Rudolph van Veen (2000–2005, 2008–present)
• Thomas Verhoef (2005–present)
• Albert Verlinde (1992–1995, 2001–present)
• Peter van der Vorst (1997–present)
• Pauline de Wilde (2008–present)
• John Williams (1995–present)
• Dennis Wilt (2008–present)
• Femke Wolthuis (2002–present)

Logos

Logos of RTL 4

1998-2004   2004 to present

External links

• RTL 4 (Dutch)