 | |
| Country | Netherlands Luxembourg |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Netherlands Luxembourg |
| Headquarters | Hilversum, Netherlands |
| Programming | |
| Picture format | 1080iHDTV (downscaled to16:9576i for theSDTV feed) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | DPG Media |
| Parent | RTL Nederland (2004–present) Holland Media Groep (1997–2004) RTL 4 S.A. (1993–1997) |
| Sister channels | RTL 4 RTL 7 RTL 8 RTL Z RTL Lounge RTL Crime RTL Telekids |
| History | |
| Launched | 2 October 1993; 32 years ago (1993-10-02) |
| Former names | RTL V (1993–1994) RTL 5 Nieuws & Weer (1997–1998) |
| Links | |
| Website | www.rtl5.nl |
| Availability | |
| Terrestrial | |
| Digitenne | Channel 5 (HD) |
| DTT(Luxembourg) | 498 MHz (SD) |
| Streaming media | |
| Ziggo GO | ZiggoGO.tv (Europe only) |
| KPN iTV Online | Watch live (Europe only) |
RTL 5 is a Dutchfree-to-cable television channel that was launched on 2 October 1993, during the 4th anniversary of its sister channel. It mainly broadcasts American films and hit series but alsoreality shows,comedy,travel, international shows and local productions includingExpeditie Robinson,Holland's Next Top Model &Benelux' Next Top Model, Dutch versions ofAmerica's Next Top Model, theDutch version ofProject Catwalk,So You Think You Can Dance and a Dutch version ofITV'sTake Me Out.[1]
Officially RTL 5 - along withRTL 4,RTL 7 andRTL 8 - is headquartered inHilversum, broadcasting with aLuxembourg TV license. This allows them to avoid more severe control by the Dutch media authorities as Luxembourg's television watchdog is less strict.
RTL 4 planned the creation of an RTL 5 as early as March 1992. The group conducted a feasibility study to create a second channel for targets that were not properly served by the main channel.[2] In a board meeting at the end of June 1993, CLT publicly announced a 2 October launch date, aiming to complement the broader RTL 4. Executives believed that RTL 5 was set to start at the right time, and that the new channel would help develop the Dutch commercial television market.[3] The channel planned to receive US$2,60 per subscriber for its cable fees during its first year of operation.[4]
RTL 5 started asRTL V via theAstra 1C satellite on 2 October 1993. The programming mainly consists of shows about cars and programmes for men.[5] Opening night started at 6pm with a preview programme that was partly simulcast with RTL 4, presented by Jan Lenferink, in which its guests searched for "the other side of television". It was followed by the filmDead Poets Society at 8pm, and at 10:05pm,Saturdaynight Five, featuring "a quiz that is not a quiz and a survey" into the preferences of the progressive Netherlands, with various styles of "top level" music. After an episode ofThe Twilight Zone (at 11:30pm), the evening finished at midnight with an eight-hour reading ofFreek de Jonge's bookNeerlands Bloed (Dutch Blood) over an eight-hour period, recorded at theConcertgebouw in May 1991.[6] Frank de Jonge had previously appeared in the launch of RTL Veronique four years earlier and "reappeared" in the form of a video recording.[7] In 1994 it changed theRoman numberV into5.[8]
In February 1995,Veronica joined RTL 4 S.A., starting a joint venture called HMG (Holland Media Groep). Two of the channels already had defined targets (RTL 4 continued being a family channel and Veronica was set to be a youth channel), but RTL 5 "clashed" with RTL 4, causing the channel to find a new formula.[9] In March, its founding director Fans von Westerloo left the channel and was appointed for the same position on the upstart networkSBS6. Program coordinator Bart in't Houd also left the channel to join the same post on the new service.[10]
With three major channels RTL could disrupt thetelevision market in theNetherlands. A recommendation from theEuropean Commission suggested the sale of RTL 5 to another company, withSBS Broadcasting being interested. The Competition Commission suggested by mid-September to formally create HMG only if RTL 5 was sold and ifEndemol's share was reduced to a symbolic level.[11]
In the summer of 1996, the channel was aimed at reconverting itself into a news channel, but HMG executives were still pending a final decision.[12] Under pressure of theEuropean Commission the channel was rebranded asRTL 5 Nieuws & Weer (in English: RTL 5 News & Weather) between 1997 and 1998.[8] RTL 5 became a thematicnews channel, with an 8pm news bulletin competing against the main edition ofNOS Journaal. It also provided a ten-minuteWeer & Verkeer (weather and traffic) bulletin after the main news.[13] Weeks after the launch of the new format,SBS Broadcasting tried suing RTL 5 in front of the European Commission, under the grounds that HMG was not following EC recommendations in becoming a theme channel. Part of its line-up still consisted of feature films, going against the news channel concept, and one of the new local programmes,5 in het land, was similar to SBS6'sHart van Nederland.[14] The EC suggested a gradual removal of the general entertainment fare in order to finish the conversion.[15]
With the launch of NET5 in 1999, the channel changed its format again. The channel withdrew its news and weather format and increased its target demographic.[16] In September 2000, the European Commission reversed the restrictions on RTL 5 because competitive channels had been launched in the Netherlands. On 5 June 2001,[17] a Business and Financial News block calledRTL Z started on RTL 5 during daytime.[5] Regular RTL 5 programming started at 6pm.[18] RTL Z moved from RTL 5 to RTL 7 on 12 August 2005.[19]
Since then, in conjunction with the RTL rebrand, RTL 5 has become a 24-hours channel.[20] It also absorbed the programmes of the former Yorin channel, while RTL 7, the former Yorin, took RTL5's former output.[21]
On 15 January 2024, a new season ofBig Brother premiered on the channel and on Videoland.[22]
The channel's first logo was a lowercase handwrittenrtl wordmark in front of a large Roman numberal 5 (V). The launch jingle, composed by Hans Van Ejick, was Let's Take 5.[8]
The logo was replaced with one similar to RTL 4's, using 5 inside a circle. The channel unveiled a new look in 1996 featuring some sort of hallway with the RTL 5 logo in the door. During this look, a library track was used. At closedown,the national anthem of Luxembourg, accompanied by aerial shots of the country, was played.[8]
On 1 January 1997, the channel adopted a new look to match the proposed all-news format.[23] The package mainly consisted of an ident and an intro forWeer & Verkeer. The menu was also changed accordingly.[8]
With the withdrawal of the plans to make it a news channel, it adopted a red square as its logo, in a white background.[8]
This look was designed by Valkieser and featured a white 5 inside a circle divided in two yellow "claws", doing several activities depending on the ident. These ended with a stinger composed by Hans Van Ejick, which was later reworked by Stephen Emmer.[8]
RTL 5 withdrew its minimalistic 1999 look after five years in August 2004 with the start of the new television season, alongside Yorin.[24] The graphics mainly featured the RTL 5 logo rendered in CGI.[8]
RTL 5 adopted a new logo with red as its dominant colour in 2005, as part of the new corporate identity, and also the arrival of programmes from the former Yorin as part of a content exchange.[8]
In September 2012, RTL 5 adopted a separate logo with its own wordmark; the central piece is the red number 5 which is used as a character in its own right.[8]
The look only included bumpers for the following programme and a menu.[8]
The introduction of the RTL United brand on RTL Nederland saw RTL 5 adopt the three boxes template, in two shades of red and one in pink.[25]
RTL 5 offered a teletext service which stopped on 1 April 2017. The pages 888/889 are still available for subtitles.[26]
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