media freedom under threat?

week 43 / 23 October 2014
MEDIA FREEDOM
UNDER THREAT?
Public Hearing at the European Parliament
addresses Hungary’s media laws
Germany
The Netherlands
Germany
RTL Group participates
at the Medientage
München in Germany
RTL Nederland wins
big at the Gouden
Televizer-Ring
awards
Clipfish offers
free top BBC series
online
week 43 / 23 October 2014
MEDIA FREEDOM
UNDER THREAT?
Public Hearing at the European Parliament
addresses Hungary’s media laws
Germany
The Netherlands
Germany
RTL Group participates
at the Medientage
München in Germany
RTL Nederland wins
big at the Gouden
Televizer-Ring
awards
Clipfish offers
free top BBC series
online
Cover
Montage
Publisher
RTL Group
45, Bd Pierre Frieden
L-1543 Luxembourg
Editor, Design, Production
RTL Group
Corporate Communications & Marketing
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up
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backstage.rtlgroup.com
backstage.rtlgroup.fr
backstage.rtlgroup.de
QUICK VIEW
“We work on
innovations daily”
Broaband TV / UFA Fiction
p.9–10
“Not a local,
but a European issue”
RTL Group
RTL Nederland
wins big at the
Gouden TelevizierRing awards
p.4–8
RTL Nederland
p.11
Clipfish offers free top
BBC series online
Big Picture
p.13
Clipfish
p.12
SHORT
NEWS
p.14
PEOPLE
p.15
On 20 October 2014, a
public hearing on media
freedom in Hungary was
held at the European
Parliament in Strasbourg.
“NOT
A LOCAL, BUT
A EUROPEAN
ISSUE”
Luxembourg – 23 October 2014
RTL Group
Public hearing: speakers’ panel
4
Hosted by the two Members of the European
Parliament (MEPs), Csaba Molnár and Péter
Niedermüller, the event brought together
representatives of four major European political
parties and several media outlets to address
the following question: “Hungary’s Media Laws:
Freedom of expression under threat?” The hearing
was attended by around 90 people, including senior
executives from RTL Group and RTL Hungary,
MEPs, EU officials and journalists. Dirk Gerkens,
Chief Executive Officer of RTL Hungary, was one
of the speakers on the panel and talked about
RTL Hungary’s broadcasting activities and also
about the discriminatory nature of the new ad tax.
Scan to watch the
public hearing of 20 October 2014
(Please wait few seconds while loading the video)
Co-hosting MEP Péter Niedermüller set the tone of
the event by reiterating the fact that the Hungarian
media law issue crosses the national borders and
calls for a European address. He commenced
his welcome speech by referring to the European
Parliament’s resolution adopted in 2011 which called
for the restoration of freedom and independence of
the media in Hungary. He said that the aim of the
public hearing was to find out whether the situation
had been restored or had worsened. Pointing out
that there were many questions to be examined, he
referred to the Hungarian media legislation which
raises questions such as whether it is in line with
European laws and whether it serves to protect and
promote media pluralism.
The welcome speech was followed by a recorded
video message from Dunja Mijatović, who due
to unforeseen urgent work commitments could
not attend the event. In her capacity as the
Representative on Freedom of the Media at the
Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe
(OSCE), Mijatović underlined that she had paid close
attention to the restructuring of the Hungarian media
landscape and legislation. She said that “although
minor changes were introduced to the media laws
in 2012, these modifications cannot be considered
satisfactory. And while the laws have not been used
very often in the last two years, their mere presence
creates an already apparent chilling effect and selfcensorship in Hungarian journalistic communities.”
She continued by naming some affected media
areas, including content regulation, the appointment
procedures at the Media Authority and the Media
Council, and the lack of editorial and financial
independence of the public-service media. Mijatović
concluded her speech by saying: “I also believe that
it is important to maintain an open dialogue with the
Hungarian authorities, and all of us have to do as
much as we can to assist the country to address
the above grave concerns on media freedom and
freedom of expression in the country.”
In his opening statement, the second co-hosting
MEP Csaba Molnár, like Niedermüller a member of
the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats
in the European Parliament (S&D), expressed his
view that the Hungarian government has failed
to consider most of the criticism expressed by
the European Union and the Council of Europe.
Molnár underlined that “the Media Council still
have overwhelming powers in overseeing and
sanctioning media outlets and journalists, and the
body still exclusively consists of the delegates of
the ruling Fidesz party, selected and nominated for
an exceptionally long nine years”. He also referred
to Klubrádió and mentioned that “Hungary’s Media
Council refused to renew Klubrádió’s long-term
frequency, despite three court rulings in the station’s
favour”. Addressing the ad tax, he stated that “the
intention behind the law, unambiguously stated
by the government, is to target the TV channel
RTL Klub”.
Vice-President of the European Parliament and MEP of the
Greens-European Free Alliance, Ulrike Lunacek with the two
co-hosting MEP Péter Niedermüller and Csaba Molnár
(from right to left)
Next >
5
Following the opening statement, Vice-President
of the European Parliament and MEP of the
Greens-European Free Alliance Ulrike Lunacek,
took the floor. Lunacek referred to the Charter
of Fundamental Rights, which provides among
other things for respect of media pluralism as an
essential part of democracy. “Democracy is all
about criticism and arguments,” Lunacek said, and
expressed her grave concern about the situation
that has developed in Hungary over recent years.
The Hungarian government has been analysing and
monitoring RTL Klub for over a year and concluded
that it runs too much ‘negative’ news and not enough
‘positive’ aspects of the government. Lunacek posed
the rhetorical question why a government should be
monitoring ‘positive’ and ‘negative’ news to begin
with, adding that the very fact sounds strange to her.
The next speaker came from the Alliance of
Liberals and Democrats for Europe Group.
Before moving into her main line of argument,
Dutch MEP and Vice-President of the Group,
Sophie in ‘t Veld, clarified that “democracy, rule of
law and fundamental rights are not partisan issues,
but are shared by all democrats”. Echoing her cospeakers, she underlined: “This debate is not, will
not be and has never been about Hungary and
its people. This is about measures taken by the
Hungarian government, but I believe that …this
debate is about us as Europeans, this is about the
values that have been written into our treaties.”
In’t Veld’s speech was followed by Luxembourgish
MEP Frank Engel, Member of the European
People’s Party. Engel referred to the advertising tax
law, saying that “if they [RTL Hungary] are brought
into a situation where a new law comes into force
addressing the earnings from advertising and they
are the only company in the country paying the
highest foreseen tax … and for a 13 per cent of
market share they pay 80 per cent of the tax then I
get the feeling that there is a conspiracy in Hungary
against non-Hungarians and that is something that
is making the present situation so dangerous”.
The rest of the public hearing was given over to
representatives from academe and the media.
Dirk Gerkens, Chief Executive Officer of
RTL Hungary, was the first to take the floor. He
gave an overview of RTL Hungary’s broadcasting
activities, reiterating RTL Hungary’s investment
into the Hungarian economy. In Gerkens’ words:
“RTL has been present in Hungary since 1997
with our flagship channel RTL Klub. Over the past
17 years, RTL has not only become the country’s
leading TV company, but also an integral part of
Hungarian society. We achieved our position in a
free market, based on fair competition. We have
the most-watched entertainment programmes and
the most independent news coverage.” Explaining
the discriminatory nature of the newly introduced
advertising tax, Gerkens said: “Shortly after the
general elections, the Hungarian Parliament
introduced a new advertising tax that is imposed on
revenues, not profits. The highest tax rate of 40 per
cent applies only to RTL Hungary. To top matters off,
our main competitor TV2 Group, which is owned by
Hungarian investors, was exempted from the tax
for the present year. The public-service media pay
only a few per cent of the advertising tax revenues
collected by the state.”
RTL Hungary’s CEO continued by pointing out the
importance of independent news in a democratic
country: “RTL’s news and information programmes
in Hungary are very important sources of information
for TV viewers. Most people turn to our programmes
to stay informed. Therefore, knowing our democratic
role, we adjusted the content of our main news
programme after the elections in April to give more
space and coverage to political developments of
Hungary. The Hungarian people have rewarded
this content adjustment: audience data shows that
RTL Klub’s news has seen a vast rise in viewership.”
Next >
Dirk Gerkens: “Recent events cannot force RTL out of the country.
We are committed to the Hungarian society and economy.”
6
Gerkens concluded his speech by reiterating RTL
Hungary’s commitment to the economy and society:
“Recent events cannot force RTL out of the country.
We are committed to the Hungarian society and
economy. In other words: RTL is and will remain
deeply rooted in the country. And we will continue
to provide the most independent news coverage in
Hungary.”
On the radio side, Arató András, President and
CEO of Klubrádió Hungary, began by highlighting
how a free press is the most important tool in the
democratic system of checks and balances, and he
elaborated on the battle his radio station has been
engaged in simply to continue operating, because
it did not have a governmental political affiliation.
He emphasised that in the past, his station was
on air in 12 rural areas in addition to Budapest –
and that all its licenses have been revoked, while
pro-government radio stations were granted
licenses. He expressed his support for RTL Klub in
its battle against the discriminatory tax law, saying:
“Klubrádió is not directly affected by this new media
advertising tax law, but it provides a channel to raise
voice against any kind of discrimination.”
OTHER MEPS CALLING ON HUNGARY TO RESPECT FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS
On 17 October 2014, Luxembourgish MEP and former Vice-President of the European Commission Viviane Reding
– who also attended the public hearing on 20 October – submitted a written question to the European Commission
regarding the respect for fundamental rights and free movement of services in Hungary.
Full text: “Regarding the freedom of the press, the action taken by the Hungarian government has been strongly
criticised. The introduction of a new so-called ‘advertising’ tax targets RTL, the last sizeable media company owned
by a foreign group in Hungary, and recognised for its political neutrality. The measure undermines not only the
freedom of the press, but also the right of establishment and the freedom to provide services.
• After parliamentary questions were asked, the European Commission undertook to carry out a sectoral survey to
find out whether RTL had indirectly been discriminated against. What is the current status of this survey?
• The Commission also pledged to follow any developments concerning fundamental rights in Hungary. How well
does it consider these rights are being respected today, especially where the harassment of NGOs is concerned?”
(Note: original text was written in French, the English translation referred to above is by RTL Group)
Luxembourgish MEP and former Vice-President of the European Commission
Viviane Reding attending the public hearing on 20 October 2014
On 21 October 2014, the European Parliament issued a press release about the EU values and their respect in
Hungary and in all other member states.
Full text: “Concerns about perceived threats to democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights in Hungary were
raised by MEPs in a debate with the Italian Presidency of the Council, represented by Benedetto Della Vedova,
and Commissioner Martine Reicherts on Tuesday [21 October 2014]. Hungarian laws and practices having an
overall impact on pluralism, freedom of speech, media freedom and civil society were some of the issues discussed
during the debate.
Hungary is not the only EU country where there are reasons for concern, noted some MEPs, but recent declarations
by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in favour of an “illiberal state” and the treatment of NGOs there have prompted real
worries. MEPs are especially concerned about the overall impact of Mr Orbán’s policies on pluralism, freedom of
speech, media freedom and civil society. All EU countries must abide by EU values, MEPs stressed.”
7
MOST CREDIBLE SOURCE OF TELEVISION NEWS
For the past 15 years, RTL Klub has been regarded as
the country’s most independent source of television
news. RTL Klub’s info magazine Házon Kivül won Kamera
Korrektúra’s ‘News and Background’ special prize in
2013. In the same year, Házon Kivül won the ‘Pulitzer
Memorial Prize’ for its objective and clear reporting.
Moreover, RTL Hungary, acknowledging the important
role that independent media outlets play in a democratic
RTL Klub’s news bulletin Híradó
society, decided to revamp its main news bulletin Híradó
in June 2014. In a bid to reach more viewers, RTL Klub
began by moving the broadcast of its main evening news bulletin from 18:30 to 18:00. The content was
improved by introducing more political, financial and social topics of direct relevance to the Hungarian
people and their everyday lives, while also covering original stories and continuing with its objective and
unbiased reporting. Since the revamp, the news bulletin has gained over 200,000 new viewers, and
remained the most credible source of television news.
In a recent interview with Budapester.hu, Dirk Gerkens states:
“People are simply interested to learn what’s happening in Hungary. It’s our societal mandate to inform
them. All of our channels tackle such issues. As I said, this has nothing to do with the tax. Our news
strategy worked – the ratings are there, the audiences are there, we’ve passed TV2 in the urban areas,
their ratings are only better in rural areas. So our strategy has proven itself.”
(Note: The English translation of the quote above is by RTL Group)
Hirado’s audience share among total audience (period 1 September to 13 October 2014)
25.5
25
24.5
24
23.5
23
22.5
SHR%
22
21.5
21
1-7/9/2014
8-14/9/2014
15-21/9/2014
22-28/9/2014 29/9–5/10/2014 6-12/10/2014 13-19/10/2014
RTL Klub’s main news bulletin Hirado gaining viewers who have not watched news on TV before
Next >
8
‘WE WORK ON INNOVATIONS DAILY’
BroadbandTV / UFA Fiction
To kick off the Medientage München (Munich
Media Days), the TV Summit met for its
inaugural session. Shahrzad Rafati, CEO and
founder of BroadbandTV, and Nico Hofmann,
CEO of UFA Fiction, represented RTL Group
on the panel.
Germany – 23 October 2014
The full panel: Seven men in dark suits and one woman – from RTL Group - CEO and founder of BroadbandTV, Shahrzad Rafati
Opening the congress, Bavarian State Media Authority President
Siegfried Schneider welcomed visitors to the Medientage München in
his capacity as chairman of the shareholders’ meeting with the words:
“The only way to create a level playing field for everyone involved
is liberalisation and reduced regulation.” Afterwards, Deutsche
Telekom CEO Timothy Höttges gave the keynote speech before
Horst Seehofer, Minister-President of Bavaria, gave an interview on
the importance of the media. Seehofer’s clear message: “Only quality
will prevail in the long run.”
Watch the Medientage München kick off and
the TV Summit inaugural session
Traditionally, the highlight of the opening morning of the Media Days is
what used to be known as the ‘Elephant Round’, is now called the TV
Summit. Under the heading “Who conducts the big screen?” presenter
Klaas Heufer-Umlauf welcomed the panel participants and began by
asking Shahrzad Rafati about her vision for BroadbandTV. “Our vision
Next >
9
is to further promote online video and help content providers work
successfully from day one. At BroadbandTV we work on innovations
daily. We mustn’t be afraid of making the occasional mistake – what’s
much more important is not to make the same mistake twice. Being
close to users also allows us to try out new programmes directly – and
get feedback on it just as directly.”
Christoph Krachten, Nico Hofmann, Shahrzad Rafati
Nico Hofmann offered an insight from the producer’s perspective:
“For major events, classic television will remain the first choice – for
us, the question is more about how we can link these events with the
online domain. In production, you have to differentiate according to
which devices the format is going to be for.” Wolfgang Link, CEO of
ProSiebenSat.1 TV Germany, agreed: “The big screen will continue to
be dominated by the major TV channels in the future.”
“Ultimately,” said Shahrzad Rafati, “the audience decides. We offer
our content wherever, whenever, and however the audience wants it.
Shows like Got Talent are so successful on TV because they are the
only ones to reliably transport emotions – the audience likes to share
these emotions directly.” Hofmann added: “Viewers select their content
by quality. The attitude of German producers is also changing right now.
It’s not about piping in programmes indiscriminately for undiscerning
eyeballs , it’s about relevance and quality: The larger the selection, the
more people look for quality.”
Gary Davey, Executive Vice President Programming at Sky Germany,
had the last word on the panel: “I fear, if I may say so, that none of us
here on the panel really knows exactly what the audience wants. But
then again, the audience itself doesn’t really know what it wants – until
it sees it.”
TRENDING ON TWITTER
The TV Summit kick off session of the Medientage München generated much buzz on Twitter, with the #mtm14 hashtag
trending among the top 5 hashtags in Germany during the day.
10
RTL NEDERLAND WINS BIG
AT THE GOUDEN TELEVIZIER-RING AWARDS
RTL Nederland
RTL Nederland received three out of the
five awards presented at the 49th Gouden
Televizier-Ring Gala, which took place on
16 October 2014 in Amsterdam, at the
Koninklijk Theater Carré.
The Netherlands – 20 October 2014
The Televizier-Ring Awards are presented each year by the Dutch
TV magazine Televizier. It is the industry’s most prestigious prize and
honours the best in Dutch TV, and the winners are selected by the
magazine’s readers.
Chantal Janzen
© William Rutten
© William Rutten
© Avrotros
In the ‘Best Female Presenter’ category (Zilveren Televizier-Ster Vrouw),
RTL 4 presenter Chantal Janzen, known for hosting Everybody Dance
Now, was distinguished, while her colleague Humberto Tan, host of
RTL Late Night Show, was named ‘Best Male Presenter’ (Zilveren
Televizier-Ster Man).
Humberto Tan
Ruud Feltkamp
Both TV personalities follow on the footsteps of RTL 4 presenters Linda
de Mol and Johnny de Mol, who received the same accolades last year
in the respective categories.
Actor Ruud Feltkamp was also honoured, with the ‘Best Breakthrough
Talent’ award (Televizier Aanstormend Talent Award). He has been one
of the cast members of Dutch flagship soap Goede Tijden, slechte
Tijden since 2006.
Feltkamp has also been the backstage host of the FremantleMedia
produced talent show The Hit broadcast on RTL 5 since July 2013.
11
CLIPFISH OFFERS FREE TOP BBC SERIES ONLINE
Clipfish
Clipfish.de
has
signed
an
extensive
collaboration with BBC Worldwide involving
British TV series. The Mediengruppe RTL
Deutschland video platform will now stream
several of BBC’s TV series in the genres of
mystery, comedy and crime.
Germany – 21 October 2014
As part of the deal, the series Moone Boy
and Psychoville are now available as
video-on-demand premieres in Germany (in
the English-language original versions). Moone
Boy tells the story of a 12-year-old Irish boy
and his imaginary friend in the late 1980s, and
Psychoville is a mystery sitcom featuring five
strange characters. Other highlights include: the
comedy series Extras, Little Britain, Little Britain
Abroad, Swinging and Coupling. Suspense series
Jekyll and Whitechapel will offer additional thrills.
All the series are marketed by IP Deutschland
and can be viewed for free via Clipfish.de, some
in the English-language original version, and via
the Clipfish apps. The entire range will soon also
be available on the new “Clipfish Serien” smart TV
channel (in HbbTV), via RTL Television and Vox.
Thorsten Sandhaus, Clipfish Managing Director,
commented:
“Advertising-financed
video,
available at all times on all screens, is pivotal to
Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland’s businesses.
With our increasingly extensive ‘film’, ‘series’ and’ ‘anime’ themed
sections offering long-form content, we show that free alternatives to
pay-per-view services can also offer attractive and relevant content.”
Clipfish.de has signed an extensive collaboration with BBC Worldwide
Since 2013, Clipfish has been expanding its feature film range with
ad-financed long-form content. More than 700 films are now available
free of charge, financed by advertising. Since last year the video
platform has also offered many anime series. The launch of the new
BBC series is being promoted with a TV commercial on Mediengruppe
RTL Deutschland channels.
12
Coming alive
at midnight!
On 21 October 2014, at 00:50, over half a million
viewers tuned in to watch the RTL II US zombie fiction
sensation The Walking Dead. The 16th episode of the
third season season attracted more than double of the
channel’s commercial target average: 12.9 per cent
share among 14- to 49-year-old (average: 5.4 per cent).
SHORT NEWS
1/1
The Big Picture to air on RTL 4
RTL 4
RTL Nederland’s flagship channel will become the first to commission
a local version of the Israeli-created game show
The Big Picture.
The Netherlands – 17 October 2014
A high-end alliance
FremantleMedia Latin America
FremantleMedia Latin America has announced a new strategic
partnership with media and entertainment company 360 Powwow to
develop original Spanish-language content for the Latin American
market.
Latin America – 17 October 2014
25 years after the fall of the Wall:
N-TV presents special programming
N-TV
To mark the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall on
9 November, the german news channel looks back on the event
with exclusive features in News Spezials and the documentary
series Wende und Ende – Die DDR.
Germany – 20 October 2014
BCE’s broadcast software solutions
arrive in Réunion
BCE
Antenne Réunion Television, the first general-interest channel on
the French island Réunion, has replaced its channel management
software with BCE’s broadcast solutions suite.
Luxembourg – 21 October 2014
The IT Crowd travels overseas
FremantleMedia UK
A pilot deal has been signed with US network NBC for a remake of
FremantleMedia UK’s Retort company`s popular sitcom The IT Crowd,
which has won many international awards including the BAFTAS,
International Emmys and Rose D’Or awards.
United Kingdom – 22 October 2014
14
PEOPLE
SAMANTHA
GLYNNE
FremantleMedia
United Kingdom – 23 October 2014
FremantleMedia has announced the appointment of
Samantha Glynne as the company’s new Vice President
of Branded Entertainment.
Reporting to Keith Hindle, CEO of Digital & Branded
Entertainment FremantleMedia, Glynne will drive branded
entertainment activities for FremantleMedia around the
world to deliver brand strategy, lead key relationships
with brands and agencies, and maximise advertiser
engagement on TV and digital platforms.
Keith Hindle comments: “Samantha has in-depth
knowledge of the brand and agency world, and the TV
world, as well as experience working across borders and
cultures. We`re delighted to have her on board, and look
forward to increasing the involvement of advertisers in our
content.
Samantha Glynne adds: “FremantleMedia is one of the
few production companies with such a solid foundation
of experience and relationships within the brand world.
Coupled with its scale, ambition and unrivalled catalogue
of TV brands, it is uniquely placed to produce and distribute
some really exciting and effective branded content in
multiple genres across all platforms.”
Samantha Glynne, Vice President of Branded Entertainment
at FremantleMedia
In her previous role as Managing Partner and Director of
Channels at Publicis Entertainment in London and Paris,
Glynne launched Renault TV in the UK and France, and
before that she was Head of Commercial Content at North
One Television/All3Media, where she launched the Audi
Channel on Sky. She’s also overseen channel launches in
Italy (Sky Italia), the Middle East (MBC, ART, ERTU) and
Romania (National TV).
15
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