Staff at German news channel n-tv apparently expect the Berlin-based broadcaster to be integrated into the RTL channel family this year. According to n-tv’s programme director, Helmut Brandstatter, it is conceivable that its main shareholder, Time Warner/CNN, which owns 49.79 per cent, sells some of its shares to RTL Group. However, he stressed that n-tv would preserve its status of a separately branded stand-alone broadcaster, declining speculation that n-tv could be turned into a news provider for other RTL channels.