Raab TV was formed in 1998 by Brainpool, a production firm, and Stefan Raab, a TV host at the time. Raab's on-screen appearances have long ago ended, and now their work together behind the scenes is also coming to an end.
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| Stefan Raab |
In the future, Stefan Raab and the TV production business Brainpool will no longer work together. The German branch of the French production business Banijay, of which Brainpool has been a wholly-owned subsidiary since 2020, verified a story from the industry magazine "DWDL" in answer to a request from SPIEGEL. That's why come December 31st, Raab and Brainpool will no longer be working together.
After Harald Schmidt departed the late-night program production firm Brainpool in 1998, they saw a chance to fill the void with Stefan Raab. Cologne business and former Viva host Stefan Raab launched Raab TV, which is responsible for Raab's "TV Total" program, which airs on ProSieben. Raab TV has been a part of Brainpool's corporate structure as of December 31, 2008.
Throughout their 25 years together, Raab created hit TV shows including "Beat the Star" and "Disgrace or Cash," as well as popular festivals like "Diving High" and "Wok World Cup." The Brainpool brand will now be used for future production of these formats. The concerts hosted by Sebastian Pufpaff and Elton, and all other current projects resulting from the partnership, should thus go as planned. The German Television Prize for "Best Comedy/Late Night" went to "TV Total" back in September.
Although Stefan Raab left his on-screen presenting role in 2015, he remained active in the television industry in the role of program development. Raab owned 25% of Brainpool when the firm was acquired by US media conglomerate Viacom in 2007. After the French production firm Banijay invested 50% in 2009, Raab's stake was reduced to 8%. The court first blocked his attempt to sell his remaining Brainpool shares to Banijay in 2018. Since the year 2020, the French have had exclusive ownership of Brainpool.
After 25 years together, Banijay Germany is breaking apart with Marcus Wolter at the helm as Managing Director. Stefan Raab encountered Marcus Wolter, the station's recording manager, while pitching short musical excerpts to Viva. From that point on, Wolter has been credited as Raab's discoverer; he was also involved in the development of the idea for "TV Total." He took over as Brainpool's leader in 2019.
To paraphrase Marcus Wolter, who is now cited by DWDL: "Thanks to Stefan for the great journey together, he has made a significant contribution to the expansion of Brainpool and built a great entertainment catalog." In order to usher in the next phase of his career, he is looking forward to "now Brainpool" with his Raab TV colleagues. We will honor Raab's legacy by continuing our cordial relationship.
Source: Spiegel