RTL Deutschland is preparing a major round of job cuts that could see between 800 and 1,000 positions eliminated across its German operations, according to a report in business magazine Wirtschaftswoche.
If confirmed, the reduction would affect nearly one in seven of the roughly 7,500 employees currently working for the Cologne-based media group.
The plans – still unconfirmed – are said to span the entire RTL portfolio in Germany, including the flagship RTL channel, VOX, news network n-tv and the streaming service RTL+. The move comes as traditional TV consumption continues to decline and the advertising market remains under pressure – a combination that has weighed on RTL’s performance for several years. Competition from US streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ has further intensified the strain.
According to the report, RTL’s management has negotiated a new social plan with the works council to facilitate the restructuring. Several smaller business units are expected to be shut down entirely, which would lead to compulsory redundancies. The extent of the cuts suggests a deeper organisational overhaul than previous cost-saving measures implemented in recent years.
The report indicates that the company’s top leadership is scheduled to review the restructuring plan internally on Monday evening, with the full workforce set to be briefed on Tuesday morning. A spokesperson quoted by Reuters declined to comment on the reported figures, saying only that the company does not respond to speculation.
Public broadcaster WDR reported that RTL is expected to publish a statement on Tuesday.
