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RTL (German TV channel) facts for kids

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RTL
RTL Logo 2021.svg
Country Germany
Broadcast area National
Also distributed in:
Austria
Switzerland
France
Italy
Belgium
Luxembourg
Liechtenstein
Netherlands
Turkey
Poland
Romania
Hungary
Israel
Denmark
Headquarters Cologne, Germany
Programming
Language(s) German
Picture format 2160p UHDTV
(downscaled to 1080i and 576i for the HDTV and SDTV feeds respectively)
Ownership
Owner RTL Group
Parent RTL Deutschland
Sister channels VOX
n-tv
Super RTL
RTL Zwei
Nitro
RTLup
VOXup
RTL Crime
RTL Living
RTL Passion
GEO Television
History
Launched 2 January 1984; 40 years ago (1984-01-02)
Former names RTL plus (1984–1992)
RTL Television (1992–2004)
Availability
Terrestrial
Digital terrestrial television Channel numbers vary
Streaming media
Ziggo GO (Netherlands) ZiggoGO.tv
RTL LIVE RTL
RTL Up
RTL Crime
RTL Passion
RTL Living

RTL (from Radio Télévision Luxembourg), formerly RTL plus and RTL Television, is a German-language free-to-air television channel owned by RTL Deutschland, headquartered in Cologne. Founded as an offshoot of the German-language radio programme Radio Luxemburg, RTL is considered a full-service broadcaster under the Medienstaatsvertrag (Interstate Media Treaty) and is the largest private television network in Germany. As of August 2010, RTL employs some 500 permanent staff, having outsourced its news and technical departments.

In September 2021, Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland (RTL Germany Media Group) was renamed RTL Deutschland. As part of the rebrand, both the group and the channel received new logos and branding.

History

RTL plus was famous in its early years for showing low-budget films and American programmes. In 1988, it was the second most-viewed channel in Germany.

After reunification in 1990, broadcasting was extended to the entire country. RTL moved to Cologne and received the right to broadcast on free-to-air frequencies. That same year, RTL acquired the first-run rights to the German Football First Division. Deals with Cannon and Universal Studios finally provided more high-profile films for the channel. In 2012, RTL made a deal with Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures to air films from its media library until 2016, when it switched to Universal, as Disney Channel was relaunched as a free-to-air channel competing with RTL.

In July 2015, the channel introduced the slogan Wilkommen zuhause (Welcome home) to complement Mein RTL, and launched its biggest advertising campaign in 20 years. This tagline (as Wilkommen zu Hause, with a space between zu and Hause) was earlier used in the early 2000s.

On 1 September 2017, RTL flattened its logo, with brighter shades of the three colours. The slogan continues to be Wilkommen Zuhause, through Mein RTL would be used in rare cases. Another sister channel, n-tv was rebranded on the same day.

As part of a comprehensive restructuring within Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland, RTL unveiled a new identity, a new, multi-colourful logo and a new graphics package. The rebrand rolled out on 15 September 2021, as well as RTL Crime, RTL Living and RTL Passion.

Station logos

Audience share

Germany

January February March April May June July August September October November December Annual average
1985 0.4%
1986 Increase 0.7%
1987 Increase 1.2%
1988 Increase 4.1%
1989 Increase 10.0%
1990 Increase 11.5%
1991 Increase 14.4%
1992 Increase 16.7%
1993 Increase 18.9%
1994 Decrease 17.5%
1995 Increase 17.6%
1996 16.6% 16.6% 18.2% 18.6% 18.1% 15.5% 15.6% 16.7% 17.2% 16.7% 17.4% 16.5% Decrease 17.0%
1997 15.9% 16.0% 16.4% 17.8% 17.0% 15.9% 14.8% 14.7% 16.9% 16.9% 15.7% 14.9% Decrease16.1%
1998 14.2% 14.2% 16.2% 16.2% 15.6% 13.8% 14.4% 15.7% 16.3% 15.1% 15.2% 14.6% Decrease 15.1%
1999 13.6% 13.9% 15.0% 15.8% 15.9% 15.3% 14.9% 15.3% 15.5% 15.4% 14.3% 13.6% Decrease 14.8%
2000 14.0% 14.0% 13.8% 14.3% 14.4% 13.7% 14.0% 14.2% 14.0% 14.6% 15.1% 14.7% Decrease 14.3%
2001 14.3% 13.4% 15.3% 15.9% 16.9% 13.6% 14.3% 13.4% 15.5% 15.4% 14.6% 14.5% Increase 14.8%
2002 15.0% 13.2% 14.9% 16.1% 15.2% 12.6% 14.5% 13.2% 15.4% 15.5% 15.2% 14.4% Decrease 14.6%
2003 15.8% 15.7% 16.0% 15.3% 15.5% 14.3% 13.7% 13.5% 15.5% 14.9% 13.9% 13.8% Increase 14.9%
2004 15.2% 13.8% 13.9% 14.1% 14.5% 12.2% 13.1% 12.3% 14.5% 14.4% 14.0% 12.8% Decrease 13.8%
2005 13.1% 12.5% 12.9% 13.6% 14.1% 13.1% 12.7% 12.3% 14.0% 13.5% 13.5% 12.9% Decrease 13.2%
2006 13.0% 12.3% 13.4% 12.8% 13.7% 12.8% 12.1% 12.7% 13.0% 13.1% 12.6% 11.9% Decrease 12.8%
2007 12.6% 12.0% 12.6% 12.8% 12.9% 12.8% 12.4% 11.8% 13.1% 12.9% 12.1% 11.1% Decrease 12.4%
2008 11.8% 11.5% 11.7% 12.5% 12.4% 9.8% 11.6% 10.5% 12.5% 12.1% 12.9% 11.5% Decrease 11.7%
2009 12.6% 11.8% 12.4% 12.8% 12.4% 11.6% 11.4% 10.9% 13.3% 13.5% 14.0% 12.9% Increase 12.5%
2010 12.7% 12.7% 13.7% 14.0% 13.6% 12.7% 12.5% 12.8% 14.5% 14.8% 15.3% 13.6% Increase 13.6%
2011 15.2% 14.1% 13.7% 14.6% 14.9% 12.5% 13.3% 13.2% 14.8% 14.6% 14.3% 13.3% Increase 14.1%
2012 14.1% 13.1% 13.4% 12.7% 11.9% 10.6% 11.5% 10.5% 12.7% 12.3% 12.7% 10.8% Decrease 12.3%
2013 13.1% 11.3% 11.2% 12.1% 11.4% 10.8% 10.9% 10.4% 10.7% 11.7% 11.5% 10.3% Decrease 11.3%
2014 12.8% 10.4% 10.6% 10.6% 10.6% 8.4% 9.0% 9.0% 10.0% 11.5% 10.7% 9.5% Decrease 10.3%
2015 11.3% 9.6% 9.8% 9.9% 9.9% 9.7% 9.2% 9.0% 10.6% 10.6% 10.1% 9.1% Decrease 9.9%
2016 11.7% 10.0% 9.6% 10.0% 9.8% 8.3% 9.0% 8.3% 10.1% 10.4% 10.0% 9.2% Decrease 9.7%
2017 11.0% 8.8% 9.3% 9.4% 9.5% 9.0% 8.5% 8.5% 9.0% 9.4% 9.0% 8.1% Decrease 9.2%
2018 9.7% 8.4% 8.5% 8.6% 8.3% 7.5% 7.8%

The average age of the viewers is 48.9 years (as of 2016).

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: RTL (Alemania) para niños

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RTL (German TV channel) Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.