US Election: RTL And N-TV The Most Popular Sources Of Information For Young Viewers

The broadcasts about the presidential elections in the US brought good ratings for RTL and N-TV in Germany, especially among the younger viewers. The one-hour special edition of the “RTL Nachtjournal” starting at midnight and the following special show “Amerika wählt” of RTL and N-TV were ahead of the special election formats of ARD and ZDF among viewers aged 14-49. With regard to the total audience (above the age of 3), the RTL reporting was also popular.

In the total timeline between midnight and 3 a.m., the end of the GfK ratings log for this day, RTL attracted 13.5 percent of the younger viewers with the “RTL Nachtjournal” and the special “Amerika wählt” and was ahead of ARD (9.4 percent) and ZDF (6.1 percent). Among the total audience, RTL was close behind ARD (11.8 percent) and ahead of ZDF (9.2 percent) with a market share of 11.4 percent.

Frank-Walter Steinmeier (Mi.) The joint RTL/N-TV election show “Amerika wählt” was produced in an especially conceived studio in Cologne’s broadcast center of the Mediengruppe RTL. RTL Chief Editor Peter Kloeppel and N-TV Anchorman Christoph Teuner presented the show nonstop until 6:30 a.m. supported by web reporter Moritz Wedel. Over the course of the show he repeatedly provided information about the feedback of the many users who participated in the special show via the interactive offer RTL Inside, either online or through apps, with comments and polls. Numerous reporters and correspondents in the US, Germany and the most important capitals around the world added their reports about the mood, interviews and reactions. At 5:19 a.m. Peter Kloeppel announced Barack Obama’s victory with reference to news from the US channel CNN.

In Bertelsmann’s Berlin Representative Offices Unter den Linden 1, RTL and N-TV together with CNN had organized a big election party. Almost 600 guests followed the suspenseful neck-and-neck race in the battle for the White House into the early morning hours. Among the party guests were US Ambassador Philip D. Murphy, SPD chairman Frank Walter Steinmeier, the co-chair of the Green Party Claudia Roth, the former Minister of the Environment Norbert Röttgen, and Bruce Darnell, Tanja Bülter, Axel Schulz and Sila Sahin