RTL (German TV channel) Facts for Kids

"RTL (Germany)" redirects here. For other uses, see RTL.

For the other TV channel known as RTLplus from 2016 to 2021, see RTLup. For the streaming service by RTL Deutschland and RTL Magyarország, see RTL+.

Quick facts for kids
RTL
Programming

Country	Germany
Broadcast area	National Also distributed in: Austria Switzerland France Italy Belgium Luxembourg Liechtenstein Netherlands Turkey Poland Romania Hungary Israel Greece Denmark Czech Republic Lithuania Croatia Latvia
Headquarters	Cologne, Germany
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	RTL9 n-tv Super RTL RTL Zwei Nitro RTLup VOXup RTL Crime RTL Living RTL Passion GEO Television
History
Launched	2 January 1984; 41 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 is a popular German TV channel. Its name comes from Radio Télévision Luxembourg. It used to be called RTL plus and RTL Television. RTL is a free-to-air channel, which means you don't have to pay extra to watch it.

The channel is owned by RTL Deutschland and its main office is in Cologne, Germany. RTL is the biggest private TV network in Germany. It has about 500 full-time staff members.

In September 2021, the company that owns RTL changed its name to RTL Deutschland. At the same time, both the company and the TV channel got new logos and a fresh look.

History of RTL Television
Station logos
Audience Information
See also

History of RTL Television

How RTL Started

RTL plus became known because of the radio station with a similar name. Before TV broadcasts even began, there was a lot of talk about starting private TV channels in Germany. Saarland, a German region, could easily receive signals from Luxembourg.

Private TV officially started in Germany on January 1, 1984. This was with a two-year test project in Ludwigshafen. Another channel, PKS (later called Sat.1), was born then. Just one day later, on January 2, 1984, RTL plus began its German-language programs. It started broadcasting from Luxembourg at 5:27 p.m. The very first broadcast was the news show 7 vor 7.

Early Years and Growth

In its early years, RTL plus was known for showing movies that didn't cost a lot to make. It also showed many American TV shows. By 1988, RTL plus was the second most-watched TV channel in Germany. This showed how quickly it was growing.

Expanding Across Germany

After Germany became one country again in 1990, RTL could broadcast to the whole country. The channel moved its main office to Cologne. It also got the right to broadcast on regular TV frequencies that anyone could pick up for free.

In the same year, RTL got the rights to show games from the Bundesliga, which is Germany's top football league. This was a big deal for sports fans. RTL also made agreements with big movie studios like Cannon and Universal Studios. These deals brought more popular and exciting movies to the channel.

In 2012, RTL signed a deal with Walt Disney Studios. This allowed them to show Disney movies until 2016. After that, Disney Channel became a free channel itself, so RTL made a new deal with Universal instead.

New Slogans and Look

In July 2015, RTL introduced a new slogan: Willkommen zuhause (Welcome home). This was part of a big advertising campaign. They had used a similar slogan in the early 2000s.

On September 1, 2017, RTL updated its logo again. The new logo had brighter colors and a flatter design. The slogan Willkommen zuhause continued to be used. Another channel, n-tv, also got a new look on the same day.

As part of a major change within the RTL Deutschland company, RTL launched a completely new look on September 15, 2021. This included a new, colorful logo and new graphics. Other channels like RTL Crime, RTL Living, and RTL Passion also got new designs at this time.