Acquisition

RNS Number:8881Z
RTL Group
13 August 2002


RTL Group acquires Holtzbrinck's TV and radio interest in Germany


Luxembourg, 13 August 2002 - RTL Group, Europe's leading broadcaster and content
provider, has entered into a Euro 170 million agreement to acquire the TV and
radio assets of the German publishing group Georg von Holtzbrinck. Under the
terms of the agreement, RTL Group acquires Holtzbrinck's 47.3 per cent stake in
the leading German commercial news channel n-tv as well as the group's
activities in 12 German radio stations. The acquisition is subject to approval
by the cartel and regulatory authorities as well as to the agreement of
co-shareholders to waive their pre-emption right.


With the acquisition of a stake in n-tv, RTL Group strengthens its activities in
the news sector and takes another step to reinforce its position as the leading
German TV family. RTL Television and its CEO Gerhard Zeiler will be in charge of
the stake; RTL Television's Information Director Hans Mahr will be responsible
for the operational cooperation with n-tv. n-tv, based in Berlin, posted
revenues of Euro 72 million in 2001 and currently has a market share of 0.7 per
cent of the total television audience.


RTL Group also strengthens its position as Germany's largest radio player - in
terms of revenues - through the acquisition of Holtzbrinck's radio holding AVE.
AVE has participations in 12 radio stations which are located in several German
states where RTL Group does not have significant radio operations. As a result,
the acquisition allows RTL Group to expand its German radio coverage to all
states except Hessen and Schleswig-Holstein. RTL Group's German radio assets are
managed in Berlin by Jurgen Filla, CEO of RTL Radio Deutschland. The existing
German radio portfolio of RTL Group includes 8 stations and participations based
in Berlin, Luxembourg, Hamburg, Niedersachsen, Nordrhein-Westfalen and Bayern as
well as a newly licensed station in Baden-Wurttemberg.


Didier Bellens, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of RTL Group, commented: "Our
strategy is to develop our TV, radio and content portfolio in the main European
markets. The acquisition of Holtzbrinck's German TV and radio assets is a
perfect translation of this strategy. The stake in n-tv, the uncontested leader
in German news television, enhances our position in our most important market,
Germany. In radio these complementary assets offer a neat geographical fit and
increase our Europe-wide exchange of know-how and expertise."



For further enquiries:


Markus Payer
Head of Media Relations
RTL Group
Phone: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]




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