Declining advertising markets: RTL Group with profit slump
Europe's largest television group is feeling the effects of the economic crisis: In the first quarter of this year, RTL Group earned only half as much as it did a year ago.
Europe's largest television group is feeling the effects of the economic crisis: RTL Group earned only half as much in the first quarter of this year as it did a year ago. Against the backdrop of declining advertising markets throughout Europe, operating profit (Ebita) fell by almost 54 percent to 87 million euros, the Group reported in Luxembourg on Thursday, according to SDA. Turnover fell by 11.1 percent to just under 1.2 billion euros. A reliable forecast for 2009 as a whole is not possible, it said. However, it can be assumed that the level of profitability will be significantly lower than in 2008.
The Group is not plagued by ratings problems. RTL Group's flagships - the German TV channels, M6 in France and RTL 4 in the Netherlands - had a strong start to 2009: "All channels were able to increase their audience shares in the respective target groups compared to the same quarter last year."
In 2008 as a whole, the entertainment group posted a record operating profit of 916 million euros. The group with 45 television and 32 radio stations in eleven European countries and the production arm Freemantle Media generated revenues of 5.77 billion euros last year (up 1.2 percent). Around 90 percent of RTL Group is owned by the Bertelsmann media group.
The Group is not plagued by ratings problems. RTL Group's flagships - the German TV channels, M6 in France and RTL 4 in the Netherlands - had a strong start to 2009: "All channels were able to increase their audience shares in the respective target groups compared to the same quarter last year."
In 2008 as a whole, the entertainment group posted a record operating profit of 916 million euros. The group with 45 television and 32 radio stations in eleven European countries and the production arm Freemantle Media generated revenues of 5.77 billion euros last year (up 1.2 percent). Around 90 percent of RTL Group is owned by the Bertelsmann media group.
