RTL Television
| RTL Television | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Launched | 2 January 1984 |
| Owned by | RTL Group |
| Picture format | 16:9, HDTV) 1080i |
| Audience share | 12.4% (2007, [1]) |
| Slogan | Mein RTL (My RTL) |
| Country | Germany |
| Broadcast area | National Also distributed in:  Austria Switzerland Luxembourg Belgium Netherlands Poland Hungary Czech Republic Slovakia Romania Croatia Italy |
| Headquarters | Cologne, Germany |
| Formerly called | RTL plus (1984–1992) |
| Website | http://www.rtl.de/ |
| Availability | |
| Terrestrial | |
| DVB-T | misc. |
| Satellite | |
| ASTRA 1L (Europe) | |
| Hot Bird 6 (Europe, Middle East, North Africa) | |
| Deukom/DStv (South Africa) | Channel 440 |
| Yes (Israel) (Israel) | Channel 120 |
| TV Cabo (Portugal) | Channel 232 |
| Open IPTV (Europe) | Channel 537 |
| Cable | |
| Kabel Deutschland (Germany) | Channel 103 (digital) |
| Cablecom (Switzerland) | Channel 009 (digital CH-D) |
| Naxoo (Switzerland) | Channel 155 |
| Ziggo (Netherlands) | Channel 606 |
| YouSee (Denmark) | Channel 54 |
| MC Cable (Monaco) | - |
| RCS&RDS (Romania) | Channel 189 |
| UPC Romania | Channel 732 (digital with DVR) Channel 189 (digital) |
| Telenet (Belgium) | Channel 175 |
| SBB (Serbia) | Channel 367 (digital) |
RTL Television (formerly RTL plus), or simply RTL, is a German commercial television station distributed via cable and satellite along with DVB-T (Digital Video Broadcasting – Terrestrial), in larger population centres. It belongs to the RTL Group and is, in terms of market share, Germany's largest private free-to-air broadcaster.
It started broadcasting on 2 January 1984 at 17:27 from VHF channel E7 (system B, color PAL) in Luxembourg and at first only had a theoretical audience of approx. 200,000. Until 1988, when it moved its headquarters to Cologne, Germany, it was considered a Luxembourg-based station.
A spin-off of the German version of Radio Luxembourg, RTL started with a low budget and many of the early hosts simply presented versions of their radio formats adapted for television. One early success was the quiz show "Ein Tag wie kein anderer" (A Day Like No Other), in which candidates were competing for a holiday.
RTL plus was famous in its early years for showing low-budget films and American programmes. It was the number 2 commercial broadcaster.
All that changed when RTL moved to Cologne and, in return, received the right to broadcast on terrestrial frequencies. That same year, RTL acquired the first-run right to the prestigious Fußball-Bundesliga. Deals with Cannon, which at the time was successful with films like Highlander and, one year later, with Universal Studios, finally provided more high profile films for the channel.
The current slogan is "Mein RTL" which means My RTL in English, a West Germanic language.
It is now the primary channel of the RTL Group's German television stations, which also include RTL II, Super RTL, VOX and n-tv.
Contents |
[edit] Programmming aired by RTL Television
[edit] News / news magazines
- Punkt 6 – weekdays, at 06:00
- Punkt 9 – weekdays, at 09:00
- Punkt 12 – weekdays, at 12:00
- RTL Aktuell – main news programme broadcast daily at 18:45. The head news presenter is Peter Kloeppel
- RTL Nachtjournal – every night, at about midnight
- Explosiv – daily tabloid programme with presenters Janine Steeger and Nazan Eckes
- Exclusiv – celebrity news programme with Frauke Ludowig and Leonard Diepenbrock
- Stern TV – newsmagazine based on the print magazine Stern hosted by Steffen Hallaschka - (1990-2010) by Günther Jauch
- Spiegel TV – newsmagazine based on the print magazine Der Spiegel hosted by Maria Gresz and Hendrik Voehringer
- Extra – Das RTL-Magazin – a weekly magazine hosted by Birgit Schrowange
[edit] Entertainment
[edit] Current
- Wer wird Millionär? – the German version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, hosted by Günther Jauch since 1999
- Deutschland sucht den Superstar – a German version of production sister company Fremantle's Idols
- Let's Dance – a German version of Strictly Come Dancing hosted by Nazan Eckes and Daniel Hartwich
- Bauer sucht Frau – German version of British Farmer wants a wife hosted by Inka Bause
- Einsatz in 4 Wänden – Spezial – home renovation show; the complete house is re-fashioned
- Raus aus den Schulden – (Out of the debts)
- Die Super-Nanny – Katharina Saalfrank helps families with childrearing problems
- Das Supertalent – a German version of Britain's Got Talent
- Ich bin ein Star – Holt mich hier raus! – German version of Granada format I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! hosted by Sonja Zietlow and Dirk Bach
- Rach, der Restauranttester – German version of British Ramsay´s Kitchen Nightmares
[edit] Former
- Big Boss – a short-lived format in Germany. Fremantle holds international licences for the show, except in the United States.
- Dancing on Ice – hosted by Mirjam Weichselbraun and Wayne Carpendale
- Der Schwächste fliegt! – a short-lived German version of the BBC format, The Weakest Link
- Entern oder Kentern – hosted by Sonja Zietlow
- Fear Factor – German version of Endemol format hosted by Sonja Zietlow
- Top of the Pops – the German version of the now-defunct British music show
[edit] Comedy
[edit] Current
- Alles Atze (reruns)
- Doctor's Diary
- Nicola (reruns)
- Mein Leben und Ich (reruns)
- Mitten im Leben
- Böse Mädchen
[edit] Former
- Achtung! Hartwich
- Angie
- Freitag Nacht News
- Alle lieben Jimmy
- Kinder, Kinder
- 4 Singles
[edit] Soap operas
[edit] Current
- Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten – prime time, since 1992, adaptation of the Dutch format Goede tijden, slechte tijden
- Unter Uns – daytime, since 1994
- Alles was zählt – daytime, since 2006
- Ruža vjetrova - primetime, since 2011
[edit] Former
- Ahornallee (daytime)
- Hinter Gittern – Der Frauenknast (prime time)
- Playhouse Disney
[edit] Former American soap operas
- Loving (Wege der Liebe)
- All My Children
- One Life to Live (Liebe, Liebe Leidenschaft)
- General Hospital
- The Young and the Restless (Schatten der Leidenschaft)
- The Bold and the Beautiful (Reich und Schön)
- As the World Turns (Jung und Leidenschaftlich – Wie das Leben so spielt)
- Guiding Light (Springfield Story)
- Days of our Lives (Zeit der Sehnsucht)
- Another World
[edit] Sport
- Formula One hosted by Florian König and Niki Lauda
- Boxing hosted by Florian König
- 2009 World Men's Handball Championship
- 2010 FIFA World Cup
- UEFA Euro 2012
[edit] Other American series
[edit] Current
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (as CSI – Den Tätern auf der Spur)
- CSI: Miami
- House (as Dr. House)
- Bones (as Bones – Die Knochenjägerin)
- Law & Order
- Psych
- Royal Pains
- White Collar
[edit] Former
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Official website (German)
- HD+ site
