I checked the household count. 3M in Austria, 33M in Germany. A
total of 36M households, not 45M...........................
The deal is similar to those already concluded with Disney, Warner, Paramount and Universal. Kirch now has signed up nearly all the Hollywood studios, presumably as a means of preventing them from supplying product to Premiere, its successful competitor in the Pay-TV market. At this huge estimated overall cost of $6 billion, Kirch hopes to increase the level of subscribers to its digital channel, DF1.
Premiere now has created an in-house production department called "Premiere Productions," in response to the Kirch Group's acquisition policy with regard to films and programming. Amongst other proposed projects, Premiere Productions will co-finance with HBO a thirteen part series about the Apollo space mission which will be executive produced by Tom Hanks.
Meanwhile, in order to cover its DF1 losses, said to approach DM1 billion, Kirch is floating Pro Sieben Media AG. Thomas Kirch (son of Leo) holds the majority of ordinary shares in the company which is expecting an income of approximately DM750 million.
However, plans to sell up to 50 per cent of the shares in the United States have been cancelled because investors are not happy with the fact that preference shares only will be issued while the majority of ordinary shares are held by Thomas Kirch.
Pro Sieben was the most successful Germany television company in 1996 showing a profit of DM170 million but there is some uncertainty as to the real value of the company. Leo Kirch is by far the main provider of films and television series for Pro Sieben and is therefore able to control 45 per cent of the channel's costs.
GERMANY
Vital Stats Cable & Satellite
Total Population (000s) 81,642 %
Number of Households (000s) 33,470 All TV Households 100
Number of TV Stations 103 Cable Households 60
Number of Commercial TV Stations 92 Satellite Households 20
Source: GfK Methodenbericht
Daily Reach (adults in millions) Television (April 1995)
1994 1995 Total Households (000s) 33,470
Daily Reach 72% 72% Colour TV (% of TV Households) 99%
Viewing Time (per viewer) 248 258 2+ TV sets (% of TV Households) 23%
Viewing Time (per indiv.) 178 186 Video (% of TV Households) 62%
Teletext 66%
Remote Control (% of TV Households) 96%
Source: GfK Methodenbericht |
