RTL Group: landmarks
Chronology
This chronology is indicative only. Context is provided by the broader communications and media timeline.
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Beginnings
1835 Bertelsmann founded as a religious printer and publisher
1917 UFA film production company founded in Berlin, becomes monopoly film producer and distributor in thirties
1931 incorporation of Compagnie Luxembourgeoise de Radiodiffusion (CLR)
1946 UFA privatised after state control under the Third Reich
1954 CLR starts television broadcasts
1954 CLR, Radio Luxembourg and Télé Luxembourg restructured as Compagnie Luxembourgeoise de Télédiffusion (CLT)
1959 Grundy Productions founded in Australia
1964 Bertelsmann takes over UFA film production, distribution and cinema group (cinema chain sold in early seventies)
1968 Thames TV founded, subsequently acquired by Pearson
1979 BMG Video founded
1984 Bertelsmann and Gruner+Jahr merge electronic media interests in UFA Film & Broadcasting
Bertelsmann moves in
1984 UFA takes 40% stake in RTL plus, first private German-language television station
1984 UFA Sports formed
1985 Trebitsch established
1989 RTL buys 25% of Saban Entertainment for US$15m
1989 Alomo established, subsequently bought by Pearson
1990 Frère-Bourgeois group and Power Financial agree to transfer Pargesa stakes to Parjointco NV joint venture
1991 Delux established
1994 Fremantle Media established, subsequently bought by Pearson
1995 Grundy bought by Pearson Television
1995 Haim Saban buys back RTL stake in Saban Entertainment for US$40m
1997 UFA merges with CLT
1997 Audiofina sells 16.7% of CLT-UFA to Bertelsmann for DM1.6bn
1997 CGE buys 30% of Havas
1998 CGE group renamed Vivendi, buys rest of Havas
1998 Havas swaps stake in CLT-UFA for 40% of Groupe Bruxelles Lambert (GBL) subsidiary Audiofina
1998 CLT-UFA buys 28% stake in Groupe Jean-Claude Darmon
1998 CLT-UFA sells 65% of RTL 9 channel to Groupe AB
1999 sells 45% in cable channel Premiere to Kirch
1999 buys Sociétés de Distribution de Cinema in France
1999 buys Belga Films in Belgium
1999 Vivendi sells 18.7% stake in Audiofina to GBL
2000 CLT-UFA merges with television arm of Pearson and GBL's Audiofina/Electrofina to become RTL
2000 WAZ sells stake in RTL
2000 RTL and Bertelsmann buy further 67% of Groupe Jean-Claude Darmon
2001 sells remaining 5% stake in Premiere to Kirch
2001 25% stake in Bertelsmann acquired by Pargesa subsidiary Groupe Bruxelles Lambert as part of RTL deal
2002 gains approval to buy interests in 12 German radio stations and 27.8% stake in news channel n-tv from Holtzbrinck
2005 UBM sells its 35% stake in UK Channel Five Television to RTL for £247m
2006 Bertelsmann buys GBL stake for €4.5bn