This week a group of EBU Members visited Luxembourg for a look at the operation of EBU Member RTL Télé Lëtzebürg, as part of the EBU IMPS project. It also was a convenient moment to learn more about the three-pillar strategy of its mother organization RTL Group, which consists of a mix of traditional free-to-air broadcast, RTL-controlled content and digital non-linear platforms. It is thanks to this diversification that the group has done well, even in the difficult economic climate.
“Cooperative competition”
RTL Group’s Co-CEO Guillaume de Posch welcomed the EBU delegation and said he was proud to be part of the EBU. He emphasized the common challenges in integrated production that all EBU Members are facing. He also referred to the ‘common enemies’ broadcasters are facing nowadays and the benefits of sharing experiences in improving technical-editorial communication. In brief, he stressed the importance of “cooperative competition”.
The programme included a presentation on and visit to the RTL Group’s news exchange “ENEX”.
Integration
In terms of integrated production, RTL Télé Lëtzebürg is a special case. Its market is relatively small, as Luxembourg has around 537,000 inhabitants and its own language. But it is financially a very healthy population, which translates into, for example, high mobile penetration. The broadcaster addresses this market by providing a Luxembourgish-only service with a strong online presence, constantly refreshed by a skilled team of developers. Its TV and radio operations benefit from the proximity of RTL Group’s facility company BCE, which provides high-quality staff and equipment.
The next visits in the IMPS - Integrated Media Production Strategies - series will be to Norwegian Member NRK and Dutch broadcaster NOS. More information via: tech.ebu.ch/imps.