INTRODUCTION

MIPCOM 2004

Renowned as the world's television and entertainment market, MIPCOM 2004 will also pay tribute to the French television industry, with a dedicated France Day.

Designed to highlight the best of French production, leading French television exports, and the enormous possibilities for shooting programming throughout the country, France Day will provide the international industry with a window on one of Europe's most dynamic television industries. France Day is organised in partnership with the Ministry of Culture and Communication and the Centre National de la Cinematographie (CNC).

"France is home to a huge number of world class broadcasting, production and distribution companies," commented Paul Johnson, Director of Reed MIDEM's Television Division. "2004 is a special year for the local industry. Not only is it MIPCOM's 20th anniversary, but it's also Canal Plus's 20th birthday, the 10th anniversary of the LCI news channel and the 10th anniversary of TV France International (TVFI)."

As part of the France Day celebrations, MIPCOM organiser Reed MIDEM will honour TVFI President Jean-Louis Guillaud with a Prix d'Excellence. "This award is not just a tribute to Jean-Louis Guillaud, it is also an acknowledgement of the astonishing work TV France International does in promoting and exporting French programming around the world," added Johnson. For 2004, MIPCOM reverts to its traditional week-long format (October 4 to 8), with France day scheduled for October 5.

MIPCOM TO HONOUR RTL'S ZEILER

RTL Group's CEO Gerhard Zeiler is to receive the MIPCOM Personality of the Year Award for 2004. The award was created in 1989 to pay tribute to exceptional careers and contributions to the international television industry. Previous recipients of the award include Canal+ founder André Rousselet, CNN founder Ted Turner, Viacom chairman Sumner Redstone, MTV Networks chairman and CEO Tom Freston and Peter Chernin, COO of News Corporation.
"We are delighted to honour Gerhard Zeiler, an experienced programming and business man, who leads a European media group with truly international interests, particularly in a year that has seen the expansion of the European Union membership," commented Reed MIDEM Chief Executive Officer Paul Zilk. "This year's award recognises Gerhard Zeiler's outstanding personal career and pays tribute to the entire RTL Group."

Gerhard Zeiler was appointed Chief Executive Officer of RTL Group in March 2003 and has been CEO of RTL Television since November 1998, but will relinquish the post in November to focus on the Group CEO role. Under his leadership, RTL Group's advertising and audience market share have grown in most of its markets. During the 1990s he was, successively, CEO of Munich-based Tele 5 (1991-1992), RTL 2 (1992-1994), ORF (1994-1998) and RTL Television. Zeiler also sits on the Board of RTL Group's French television channel M6.

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