Andreas Bartl Exits ProSiebenSat.1

UNTERFÖHRING: Andreas Bartl, the chief German TV officer at ProSiebenSat.1 Media, is leaving the company as of March 1, with plans to become an independent media entrepreneur.

His new company, Bartl Media, will focus on developing new TV stations, programming and fostering artistic talents. He will be advising ProSiebenSat.1 Media in that capacity. ProSiebenSat.1 Group CEO Thomas Ebeling will take over Bartl’s duties on the executive board on an acting basis. The acting chairman of the management of ProSiebenSat.1 TV Deutschland will be ProSieben’s managing director, Jurgen Horner.

Bartl commented: “After 20 exciting years at ProSiebenSat.1, I’d like to pursue a long-cherished wish and take on new challenges as a media entrepreneur. I’m very grateful to the Group for the opportunities it has offered me on this long, exciting path. I’ve had a wonderful time working with many great artists and great makers of television. None of our successes would have been possible without them and my team. Thank you all! I’d also like to thank the supervisory board, Thomas Ebeling, and my other colleagues on the executive board for their outstanding support over the years. I wish the group every success, and will still be maintaining friendly connections with it.”

Gotz Mauser, the chairman of the supervisory board of ProSiebenSat.1, added: “On behalf of the entire Supervisory Board, I’d like to thank Andreas Bartl for his dedication and empathy. His innovative vigor brought about the establishment of many of the very successful programs without which today’s German TV would be almost unimaginable. Andreas Bartl has repeatedly provided crucial impetus for the entire group of stations to adjust and evolve its TV programming to fit audiences’ changing viewing habits and needs. I’m happy to know that ProSiebenSat.1 will continue to have Andreas to assist us as a strong, deeply versed expert on the media industry, and on behalf of my colleagues on the Supervisory Board I wish him every imaginable success in his new business.”

Ebeling said: “Andreas Bartl has helped shape ProSiebenSat.1 in ways that hardly anyone else can match. You could almost call his career with us a classic. He came out of the ‘machine room,’ as he himself likes to say, and built up more and more management experience on that solid foundation, until he finally came to manage Germany’s largest integrated family of stations. I can’t begrudge him his decision to go his own way now, after 20 successful years with the Group. There too he’ll be a success, thanks to his creativity, his sound judgment, and his profound understanding of people. I personally want to thank him for three years filled with interesting conversations and important insights. I’m very glad that Andreas will still be providing us with his support.”