Overview
- RTLzwei, in a DWDL.de interview published Tuesday, disclosed a personnel reduction plan and said a voluntary redundancy program has begun with no target number released.
- New CEO Thorsten Braun said the linear channel will now target 30- to 59-year-olds after internal figures showed only a little over 30% of last year’s viewers were 14 to 49 and most were over 50.
- Braun said streaming and broadcast will be planned separately, with fewer streaming hits moved into weak linear primetime slots to avoid dragging down TV performance.
- He added he is willing to accept short-term losses on formats that grow streaming use and that such shows do not need a TV run if ratings would likely be poor.
- The company said it informed staff last week and is working with the works council on voluntary exits, and outlets noted this follows larger cuts at RTL Deutschland (~600 jobs) and ProSiebenSat.1 (~430) as TV ads fall and younger audiences shift to streaming where RTLzwei reports over 80% of use from 14–49 and more than one-third from 14–29.