Although TV2 remains the largest TV group in Denmark with an all viewing share of 34.5% in 2013 (against a stable 31.4% for DR), fall in advertising (by 10% during the first half of 2013) and fragmentation of TV viewing in the digital world have gradually dented the main channel’s audience that fell from 27.4% in 2011 to 24% in 2012, then settled at 23.1% in the first six months of 2013.
The group’s interim financial results for the first half of the year were satisfactory, showing a DKK111 million pre-tax profit from continuing operations (against DKK44 million in 2012), but that was partly due to the success of the group’s five niche channels that posted a profit before tax of DKK 145 million (offsetting the main channel’s losses before tax of DKK 34 million) and contributed an average 11.7% to the group’s overall share.
As part of TV2’s objective to strengthen its main channel, the restructuring of its management team initiated last spring with the hiring of two DR executives -Anne Engdal Stig Christensen, now TV2 Director of Programmes and Lotte Lindegaard, TV2 channel controller- continued a few days ago with the appointment of another DR executive, Thomas Breinholt, who will take on his new job as Head of Programmes for TV2’s main channel as of December 1, 2013, while Sune Roland who was in that job, will become Manager of TV2’s niche channels.
To widen TV2’s appeal and reconnect with the 20-60 audience, part of the group’s strategy is to offer unifying programmes around prime time slots. Besides flagship entertainment programmes such as Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Operation X and Strictly Come Dancing, the fall will bring new foreign format adaptations (such as Belgian sports show Eternal Glory), and strong local TV dramas. The second season of SF Film’s Rita featuring the politically incorrect schoolteacher is currently airing on Wednesday evenings, and next will be the second season of Miso Film’s Dicte.