overview

holdings

landmarks

     landmarks

This chronology is indicative only. Context is provided by the broader communications and media timeline.

     beginnings

1835 Bertelsmann founded as a religious printer and publisher

1917 UFA film production company founded in Berlin, becomes monopoly film producer and distributor in thirties

1931 incorporation of Compagnie Luxembourgeoise de Radiodiffusion (CLR)

1946 UFA privatised after state control under the Third Reich

1954 CLR starts television broadcasts

1954 CLR, Radio Luxembourg and Télé Luxembourg restructured as Compagnie Luxembourgeoise de Télédiffusion (CLT)

1959 Grundy Productions founded in Australia

1964 Bertelsmann takes over UFA film production, distribution and cinema group (cinema chain sold in early seventies)

1968 Thames TV founded, subsequently acquired by Pearson

1979 BMG Video founded

1984 Bertelsmann and Gruner+Jahr merge electronic media interests in UFA Film & Broadcasting

     Bertelsmann moves in

1984 UFA takes 40% stake in RTL plus, first private German-language television station

1984 UFA Sports formed

1985 Trebitsch established

1989 RTL buys 25% of Saban Entertainment for US$15m

1989 Alomo established, subsequently bought by Pearson

1990 Frère-Bourgeois group and Power Financial agree to transfer Pargesa stakes to Parjointco NV joint venture

1991 Delux established

1994 Fremantle Media established, subsequently bought by Pearson

1995 Grundy bought by Pearson Television

1995 Haim Saban buys back RTL stake in Saban Entertainment for US$40m

1997 UFA merges with CLT

1997 Audiofina sells 16.7% of CLT-UFA to Bertelsmann for DM1.6bn

1997 CGE buys 30% of Havas

1998 CGE group renamed Vivendi, buys rest of Havas

1998 Havas swaps stake in CLT-UFA for 40% of Groupe Bruxelles Lambert (GBL) subsidiary Audiofina

1998 CLT-UFA buys 28% stake in Groupe Jean-Claude Darmon

1998 CLT-UFA sells 65% of RTL 9 channel to Groupe AB

1999 sells 45% in cable channel Premiere to Kirch

1999 buys Sociétés de Distribution de Cinema in France

1999 buys Belga Films in Belgium

1999 Vivendi sells 18.7% stake in Audiofina to GBL

2000 CLT-UFA merges with television arm of Pearson and GBL's Audiofina/Electrofina to become RTL

2000 WAZ sells stake in RTL

2000 RTL and Bertelsmann buy further 67% of Groupe Jean-Claude Darmon

2001 sells remaining 5% stake in Premiere to Kirch

2001 25% stake in Bertelsmann acquired by Pargesa subsidiary Groupe Bruxelles Lambert as part of RTL deal

2002 gains approval to buy interests in 12 German radio stations and 27.8% stake in news channel n-tv from Holtzbrinck

2005 UBM sells its 35% stake in UK Channel Five Television to RTL for £247m

2006 Bertelsmann buys GBL stake for €4.5bn

://: