# RTL Group Formed (April 2000)

URL: https://allhistories.com/luxembourg/timeline/2000-rtl-group-formed
Location: Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
Themes: Key Events

The Compagnie Luxembourgeoise de Télédiffusion (CLT) grew out of Radio Luxembourg, founded in 1931 and famous across Europe for its English, French and German services. Taking advantage of Luxembourg's sovereignty over broadcasting frequencies, CLT built a network of commercial stations, including RTL Télévision in France and Belgium and RTL plus in Germany. In 1997 it merged with Bertelsmann's UFA to form CLT-UFA. In April 2000 CLT-UFA combined with the British group Pearson TV, owner of production companies such as Thames Television and Grundy, to create RTL Group, with its headquarters in Luxembourg. The new company owned or held stakes in dozens of television channels and radio stations across Europe, together with content production firms such as FremantleMedia, and Bertelsmann soon acquired a controlling stake. RTL Group became one of the largest private broadcasting groups in Europe and moved into a new headquarters, RTL City, on the Kirchberg plateau in 2017. Its Luxembourg channel RTL Télé Lëtzebuerg remains the main source of television news in Luxembourgish, and the group's history reflects how a small state turned media sovereignty into a major industry.

## Why it matters
RTL Group anchored a European media giant in Luxembourg and preserved the country's broadcasting legacy.

Ruler at the Time: [Henri](https://allhistories.com/luxembourg/rulers/henri)

Grand Duke of Luxembourg: Jean
Prime Minister of Luxembourg: Jean-Claude Juncker (Christian Social People's Party (CSV))

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — RTL Group](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RTL_Group)
- [RTL Today](https://today.rtl.lu/)
- [Luxembourg.public.lu — official portal](https://luxembourg.public.lu/en.html)
- [Wikipedia — Modern Luxembourg (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luxembourg)