Channel 5 owner calls UK recovery
BROADCASTER RTL, the majority owner of Channel 5, says it's seeing the first positive signs of growth in the UK advertising market. Chief executive Didier Bellens said although the market in Germany was 'weak' and France 'flat', there were some 'first, tentative, positive signs in the UK and Netherlands'.
He added that despite difficult trading in the first half of this year, the group continued to 'perform well and attract significant audience shares'.
The group, which is majority-owned by German media group Bertelsmann, said Channel 5 had grown its audience share by 10%, and its share of the advertising market by 14% since the beginning of the year. Its FremantleMedia production business had been helped by the success of Pop Idol in the UK and US.
RTL, which also has television channels in Germany, France, the Netherlands and Belgium, added that despite the difficult markets, it was set to meet market expectations for its full-year results. The group's half-year result will be reported in September.
