RTL (Hungarian TV channel)
RTL is a Hungarian free-to-air television channel owned by RTL Group.
History
Since its start, RTL Klub has focused to gain viewers from the urban population. The channel airs programs mostly for a younger audience.RTL Klub rebranded again in early September 1999. The idents consists of two elements, with the eye motif being introduced for the first time.
On 17 December 2001, RTL Klub adapted another new identity, designed by Dogfish and focuses on people which then zoom into their eyes.
RTL Klub and TV2 aired two similar major reality series simultaneously. While TV2 purchased the rights of Big Brother, RTL Klub produced its own series called Való Világ. Való Világ had three seasons between 2002 and 2004. Since its second season the show has been much more successful than the rival Big Brother.
RTL Klub is the most watched TV channel in Hungary since 2002, thanks to the daily Hungarian soap opera Barátok közt, which is the most watched TV programme in Hungary with more than 2 million viewers; the tabloid magazine Fókusz and the game show Legyen Ön is milliomos. Millionaire is off the schedule from September 2007 after seven years and has replaced by A Széf.
Before these idents were introduced, three teasers featuring Naná would air during commercial blocks from late March 2003 until the moment when these idents would be eventually introduced on April 19 that year. These idents sometimes featured short 2D and 3D animations involving Naná itself. This was the last identity package with the "coloured" on screen bug, the next package had it changed into transparent gray.
From the fall-winter season of 2005–2006, RTL Klub has started to broadcast popular American TV shows like Lost. The first episode of Lost had almost 2 million viewers, and a 50% share. This was a record. The next year Prison Break started with almost 1.6 million. Nowadays a TV show at prime time can reach 1-1.5 million viewers. In season 2006–2007 Prison Break was the most watched American series in Hungary.
From the fall season of 2007, RTL Klub has launched two new formats with great success. Poker Face ran like a tournament for six weeks with an average 38-42% share. The other new show was Csillag születik, the Hungarian version of the RTL Got Talent format. Poker Face ended with the super final at 18 December and the time slot of it will be occupied by the new game show A Széf.
RTL Klub was the only licensed broadcaster of Formula One in Hungary from 2002 until 2011. After 10 years RTL decided not to renew the license for Formula 1. The reason was that they wanted to concentrate mainly for the prime time programs because of the shrinking advertising market.
RTL Klub changed its graphics package once again, at 19:00 CET of 24 December 2005, just after the end of RTL Híradó that day. For the first time in its history, the logo but stopped being colourful as it became light gray.
RTL Klub has been the only licensed broadcaster of Domino Day in Hungary, for 6 years.
RTL Klub introduced a new graphics package on 1 June 2008 at 16:30 CET, just before a commercial break during a simulcast of a horse race. The package features the FF DIN Condensed typeface.. The idents were designed by the team of the Argentinian television channel Punga TV. They were consisted of concrete blocks flying across the screen, against a backdrop of Hungarian landmarks or the Hungarian countryside, until they eventually formed the letters RTL. On its first day, the 2005–2008 on-screen bug was retained, but it was changed to a lighter but the next day, with the new appearing and disappearing "animations".
From 2010, RTL Klub started with 2 winning formats. First of all the channel after 6 years absence successfully relaunched the Való Világ franchise. VV4 ran with a 40% SHR among 18-49 demographic. Secondly they purchased the rights of television talent show The X Factor. The show ran with a 50% SHR among 18-49 demographic which is really high on the Hungarian television market. The Factor crashed the competitor talent show on TV2 so "Megasztár" left the time slot of The X Factor after a few episodes. Because of the success of both format, RTL Klub renewed both show for the 5th and 2nd season respectively. They started in the fall season of 2011.
To celebrate its 20th anniversary, RTL Klub rebranded for the first time in nine years, on 2 October 2017 at 04:00 CET. This was a major overhaul for the channel as its old graphics package, which was dominated by grey and fluorescent colours, was replaced by a vibrant multicoloured graphics package. This was considered the last image under the name RTL Klub.
It confirmed on 2 September 2022 that all RTL channels will change their names, while RTL Klub will be renamed simply to RTL on 22 October 2022 on the occasion of the channel's 25th anniversary. The channel changed its name and identity on 22 October 2022 at 20:40 CEST during the TV show X-Faktor. Its logo and identity is based on its German counterpart.
Programming
Current
Original programming
- Barátok közt : the most watched domestically produced television soap of Hungary. The show started in the fall of 1998, one year after the foundation of RTL Klub. The show remarkably resembles BBC soap-drama, EastEnders. Initially, it didn't have the expected ratings, however, bound by the contract, RTL Klub had to keep the show running. Since 2000, the third season, the show has been rarely beaten in ratings in its own timeslot. Today, the average rating of the show is about 2 million viewers, and it's a solid foundation of viewers the channel occasionally builds on. Each episode of the series is 15 minutes long, and every weekday two episodes are aired. In between the two episodes, there is a news session as well as the highest value commercial block in Hungarian television. The show will end, after 23 seasons, on July 17, 2021, with an extended special episode.
- X-Faktor: the licensed version of the talent show The X Factor. The first season started in the fall season of 2010. Because of the great success the 2nd season started one year later. Season 3 started in fall 2012. Season 4 started 1 year later with 3 new judges and 2 new hosts.
- Való Világ : the show is similar to the reality show Big Brother although there are some major differences between the two formats. VV first started on RTL Klub in 2002. At the same time the rival TV channel purchased the rights of the successful Big Brother format. The 1st seasons of the 2 shows had similar ratings but BB was slightly ahead. Since the 2nd season VV crashed the rival format so BB moved to the late night time slot and died quietly. The 2nd season of VV was followed with a 3rd one which had great ratings again. After the 3rd season of VV ended RTL Klub had the format rested for 6 years. In 2010 they relaunched the format with some changes. VV4 was followed by VV5 in 2011. VV6 started in Winter 2014 on RTL II and the channel continues it with a 7th season in Autumn. RTL Klub sold the format of VV to Czech Republic and Slovakia where the show was called Vyvolení. The Czech VV had 3 seasons while the Slovak had 2. In both countries VyVolení won the time slot against Big Brother.
- Csillag Születik : the Hungarian licensed version of Britain's Got Talent. Four seasons have been aired in 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2012 respectively.
- Fókusz is a daily report magazine. It is on the air since the foundation of RTL Klub.
- Showder Klub is a stand-up comedy show, spin-off of former show of Sándor Fábry called Esti Showder. His programme goes nowadays on Duna.
- Házon kívül : a political show, which deals with two or three current political events or social problems every week.
- A Széf: A licensed version of Take it or Leave it. It began airing during the 2007 fall season.
- XXI. Század : a documentary series which usually deals with historical moments which happened in the 20th century. Recordings presented in the show usually originate from the communist era and therefore are black and white. RTL Klub purchases most of the presented material from Hungarian national television.
- Egy perc és nyersz: : It is the licensed version of the American game show Minute to Win It.
- A gyanú árnyékában : It is a scripted docu-reality series started to air at the spring season of 2012. The series follows a documentary style. Every episodes deals with a family in some kind of trouble. The stories are based on real events. The characters are played by amateur actors. The second season started in the fall of 2012.
- A kód is the licensed version of the British game show The Exit List by Balázs Sebestyén. It had aired at the fall season of 2012 every weekday.
- Házasodna a gazda: is the scripted reality series based on the format Farmer Wants a Wife. The first season aired during the fall season of 2012.
- Éjjel-nappal Budapest : is a scripted reality series, licensed from German RTL II show Berlin Tag & Nacht. Airs every weekday at 19.50 since February 2013.
- Kölyökklub : is a children programme block. Previously, in addition to cartoons, there was also a pirate-themed quiz show, hosted by Rita Jónás. Later, a talk show took its place, which was already hosted by Nóra Ördög, and in which children were also guests, but since July 1, 2006, it has only broadcast cartoons. The program is broadcast on weekends and holidays from 7:00 a.m. The programme had a former weekday companion program, Jó reggelt, skacok!.
Former
| Series name | Hungarian title | Comment |
| Alias | Alias | |
| Big Shots | Nagyágyúk | |
| Burn Notice | Minden lében négy kanál | moved to RTL2 after 1st season |
| Chuck | Chuck | moved to Cool TV after the 1st season |
| Cold Case | Döglött akták | |
| Day Break | Időbe zárva | |
| Dirty Sexy Money | Édes, drága titkaink | |
| Doctor Who | Ki, vagy, doki? | Series 1 & 2 only |
| Dollhouse | Dollhouse – A felejtés ára | |
| Dragon Ball | Dragon Ball | |
| Dragon Ball Z | Dragon Ball Z | also on Viasat 6 |
| E-Ring | Titkos Küldetés | |
| ER | Vészhelyzet | |
| Glee | Glee – Sztárok leszünk! | cancelled after first season |
| Human Target | Tökéletes célpont | |
| Invasion | Rejtélyek városa | |
| Jo | Jo, a profi | |
| Joan of Arcadia | Isteni sugallat | |
| Journeyman | Az utazó | |
| Kingdom Hospital | A félelem kórháza | |
| Kung Fu: The Legend Continues | Kung-fu | |
| Legend of the Seeker | A hős legendája | |
| Lie to Me | Hazudj ha tudsz | |
| Lost | Lost – Eltűntek | last season was not aired |
| Martial Law | A harc törvénye | |
| Missing | Eltűntnek nyilvánítva | |
| Point Pleasant | Titkok Városa | |
| Prison Break | A szökés | |
| Private Practice | Doktor Addison | only the first 2 seasons were aired |
| Rescue Me | Ments meg! | |
| Rome | Róma | |
| Sailor Moon | Varázslatos Álmok | Last season not aired |
| Tatort | Tetthely | cancelled after 1st season |
| Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye | Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye | |
| Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles | Terminátor: Sarah Connor krónikái | moved to Cool TV after 1st season |
| The Secrets of Eden | Az Edèn Titkai | cancelled after 1st season |
| The Big Bang Theory | Agymenők | only the first 2 seasons were aired |
| The Finder | Csont nélkül | |
| The Nine | Kilenc túsz | |
| The Shield | Kemény zsaruk | |
| The Sopranos | Maffiózók | |
| The Unit | Az egység | |
| Third Watch | Harmadik műszak | |
| Transporter: The Series | A szállító | |
| Traveler | Traveler – Az utolsó vakáció | |
| Tru Calling | Tru Calling – Az őrangyal | |
| Will & Grace | Will és Grace |