Slow ad market dents RTL profits

RTL Group, the largest European commercial broadcasting group, saw profits drop in the first quarter of the year as a result of a slow advertising market in Germany.

The company posted an 11.7% fall in earnings before interest, tax and amortisation to €181 million, although sales increased to €1.25 billion.


”The picture in the first three months of 2011 was mixed. While advertising revenue in the Netherlands (TV) and France (TV and radio) grew significantly year-on-year, the German TV advertising market was down in the first quarter,” the company noted in a statement. 


RTL Group operates 41 channels in ten countries including RTL in Germany, M6 and W9 in France, RTL Nederland and Greece’s Alpa TV as well as production and distribution company FremantleMedia.