Schmitter joins RTL Deutschland management board
November 17, 2022
RTL Group has announced that Stephan Schmitter, currently Chief Journalistic Content Officer at RTL Deutschland, has been appointed to the Management Board of RTL Deutschland with immediate effect.
As Managing Director of Programming, he will take on responsibility for all content (entertainment, journalistic content, fiction, sports and RTL Studios productions) and brands from RTL Deutschland. The Brand & Marketing department will also move into Schmitter’s area of responsibility.
Additionally Andreas Fischer, Chief Operating Officer at RTL Deutschland, is responsible for commercial processes in the content area – such as the purchase of third-party programmes, formats and sports licences, alongside the area of copyright affairs and music publishing – with immediate effect.
Henning Tewes, currently Chief Content Officer at RTL Deutschland, is leaving to take on new management responsibilities at RTL Group, which will be announced in due course.
Thomas Rabe, CEO of RTL Group and Chairman of the Management Board of RTL Deutschland, said: “Stephan Schmitter is a great addition to the Management Board of RTL Deutschland. For more than 18 years, he has demonstrated a flair for programming, journalism and marketing in numerous management positions across RTL – and has shown that he leads creative teams in a collaborative manner. With his responsibility for all content, we are creating the foundation to further increase our audience shares in the German TV market, to continue the growth of our streaming service RTL+, and to realise the synergies from the combination with Gruner + Jahr. I look forward to our continued cooperation and wish him every success in his new role.”
“On behalf of RTL, I would like to express my sincere thanks to Henning Tewes for his achievements and great commitment. Both internationally and in Germany, he has shaped RTL’s programming and developed new business models. He has led our German flagship channel RTL Television, as well as our other channels, with passion and determination. Furthermore, over the past three years, he has also significantly expanded and diversified the programme line-up of RTL+ with numerous originals across all genres – thus strengthening RTL Deutschland’s position in the creative market,” added Rabe.
Tewes said: “RTL Deutschland is a great company – you can feel the enthusiasm and identification with our great content and brands in all areas. I would like to personally thank my teams for their enormous commitment and the content standards they uphold in our programmes. I sincerely wish Stephan Schmitter every success at the helm of these outstanding creative teams. Even though it is not easy for me to say goodbye to RTL Deutschland, I am looking forward to my future tasks at RTL Group and thank Thomas Rabe for his trust.”