Gerhard Zeiler

[4] After graduating, Zeiler began his early career working as a scientific assistant at the Austrian Institute for Occupational Research.

[5] In 2005, he passed the management of RTL Television to Anke Schäferkordt, so that he could focus solely on the company's international entertainment network.

[2] On April 18, 2012, Zeiler left RTL "by mutual and amicable agreement" and "at his own request" to take over the international business at Turner Broadcasting System.

[10] Zeiler is a member of the Steering Committee[11] of the Bilderberg Group, a private, annual gathering of intellectual figures, political leaders, and business executives.

Zeiler has also been outspoken in his support of calls to relax UK product placement rules, to help struggling commercial broadcasters.

Summarising his objective for RTL for the future, Zeiler commented: "We are developing our broadcasting operations into digital TV families with a presence on all new platforms.

We will systematically meet the rising demand for attractive content and expand our production arm, FremantleMedia, with new talent, new formats and by doing business in new markets".

[2] In 2004, Zeiler was voted media personality of the year at the Mipcom audiovisual content trade show in Cannes.

The award came at a time when RTL Group continued to set new records, despite the crisis evident in the media sector.

Zeiler shares the eighth annual award with Dick Ebersol, Mary Hart and Regis Philbin.