Launched 6 March 1993 Country Germany Headquarters Grünwald | Audience share 3.7% (2015, dwdl.de) Founded 1993 | |
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Owned by RTL Group S.A., Heinrich Bauer Verlag KG, Tele München Fernseh GmbH & Co. Medienbeteiligung KG, Burda GmbH Picture format 16:9 576i (SDTV)
1080i (HDTV) Broadcast area National
also distributed in:
Austria
Switzerland
Southeast Europe
Eastern Europe TV shows Berlin – Tag & Nacht, Frauentausch, Die Geissens – Eine schr, Zuhause im Glück – Unser Ein, Big Brother Germany Profiles | ||
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RTL II is a commercial, privately owned, general-interest German television channel. In 2014 the channel had a market share of 3,9% among viewers aged over three.
Contents
History
RTL II started broadcasting on 6 March 1993 at 6:09 a.m. with the movie Ein reizender Fratz.
Ownership
The channel is operated by RTL2 Fernsehen GmbH & Co. KG., which was founded in 1992 and employs approximately 210 people. Since June 2014 its Managing Director has been Andreas Bartl. The company was originally headquartered in Cologne, but is now run in the municipality of Grünwald, to the south of Munich; only its news department is still based in Cologne, in order to share the production facilities of RTL news. The company is jointly owned by: RTL Group S.A. (35.9%), Heinrich Bauer Verlag KG (31.5%), Tele München Fernseh GmbH & Co. Medienbeteiligung KG (31.5%, of which the Tele München Gruppe and The Walt Disney Company hold 50% each). and Burda GmbH (1.1%)
Programming
Programming pillars are daily episodes of the local Big Brother in access prime-time, and a prime-time lineup consisting mostly of "docu-soaps", movies and licensed series such as 24 and Stargate SG-1. Recent efforts to move further towards quality programming with science magazines and documentaries have met with an indifferent audience response.
The channel's prime-time newscast RTL II News is frequently criticized for its selection of news stories, which are seen to cater to a young audience; for example, it has been known to put a CD release or the launch of a new gaming console in the second headline slot directly after the day's top event. This unconventional approach has brought RTL II's broadcasting licence into jeopardy at least once, as a German commercial broadcaster has to feature minimum amounts of serious informational and cultural programming to be allowed a full channel licence. In addition to its own newscast formats (RTL II News, RTL II Spezial. Das Magazin and Das Nachrichtenjournal), the channel commissions independent producers to create its own productions, which it airs in the afternoons.
Afternoon programming
In the afternoon, the channel now primarily features its own docu soap and reality show productions.
Access prime-time
During access prime-time RTL II airs the soaps Köln 50667 and Berlin – Tag & Nacht on weekdays, movies on Saturdays, and science magazines Welt der Wunder and Schau dich schlau! on Sundays.
Prime-time
Among its prime-time line-up the channel's own docu soap productions such as Die Geissens – Eine schrecklich glamouröse Familie and Frauentausch are particularly successful. Various US shows such as Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead have been, and continue to be, the most successful series of RTL II's prime-time slot. Its late-night line-up also features US series such as Autopsy – Mysteriöse Todesfälle and Flashpoint.
Movies also account for a major share of the channel's prime-time and late night content. In addition to the large number of Hollywood movies, RTL II also broadcasts Indian Bollywood movies in this slot since 2004.
Anime and children's programming
RTL II has offered the largest anime content of all free-to-air German-language TV channels. It aired about over 80 Anime series since the channel and also broadcast cartoons. On weekdays, RTL II also airs an anime afternoon under their children/youth banner "Pokito". Following tensions with media authorities, RTL II's standards and practices department is believed to be especially sensitive about children's programming. As a consequence, the channel cuts scenes in anime series like Detective Conan, InuYasha, One Piece and Naruto, for which it has received criticism from anime fans. Some episodes where the original version had previously been given a FSK 6 rating, meaning that it is suitable for children ages 6 up and may legally be aired at all hours of the day have even been edited down. In February 2013 RTL II announced that its Sunday morning children's programme would be discontinued as of 21 April 2013. A separate online channel for anime was launched in April.
German premiers
RTL II was the first channel to introduce various foreign TV formats on German television such as:
- The Final Countdown: a show aired at the start of the new millennium lasting 24 hours and showing celebrations in various locations all over the world. - Popstars in 2000 was the first casting show aired on German television. - Jack Point Jack in 2003 was the first interactive movie on German television. - Bollywood movies: On 19 November 2004 RTL II aired Sometimes happiness, sometimes sadness (German: In guten wie in schweren Tagen - original title: Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham), the first dubbed Bollywood movie on German television, and achieved an audience share of over 12.3% among the target group of 14- to 49-year-olds. Due to its great success Indian movies have been regularly aired on the channel ever since. Previously, Bollywood movies had been broadcast in Hindi with German subtitles on ARTE and VOX.