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Kirch Group

KirchGruppe (KirchGroup) was a German media group founded by Leo Kirch in the 1950s. It was the dominant buyer and seller of TV programming rights in Germany.[1] By 2000, it controlled a 52.5 percent stake in what became the country's biggest broadcaster, ProSiebenSat.1 Media.[2]

Native name

KirchGruppe

1955 (1955) in Bavaria, Germany

2002 (2002)

Bankrupt; assets sold; ProSiebenSat.1 Media's majority stake acquired by Mediaset

MFE - MediaForEurope (via ProSiebenSat.1 Media)

The group collapsed in 2002 largely due to the debts associated with the purchase of sports rights for its television channels and the launch of pay-TV services. It was Germany's biggest corporate collapse since World War II.[3]


KirchMedia declared bankruptcy on 8 April 2002, followed by KirchPayTV on 8 May 2002 and finally KirchBeteiligung on 12 June 2002 along with the holding company for the group, Taurus Holding.

ProSiebenSat.1 Media (52.5%)

DSF (100%)

(50%)

Junior TV

Telecinco (25%)

Kirch archives[edit]

Kirch's archives were one of the largest film libraries in the world with over 15,000 films and 50,000 hours of television programmes and the biggest supplier of German language films.[21] It included 1,000 films from Howard Hughes' RKO Pictures library and 1,200 titles from the Hal Roach library.[4]