Radio Bremen

Radio Bremen (RB), Germany's smallest public radio and television broadcaster, is the legally mandated broadcaster for the city-state Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (which includes Bremerhaven). With its headquarters sited in Bremen, Radio Bremen is a member of the consortium of German public broadcasting organizations, ARD.

Radio Bremen logo
Radio Bremen's headquarters building

History

Radio Bremen was founded in 1922 as "Deutsche Stunde für drahtlose Belehrung und Unterhaltung" (German Hour for Wireless Education and Entertainment) with the participation of Ludwig Roselius. On 2 May 1924 Nordische Rundfunk AG (NORAG) began broadcasting. On 30 November 1924, the "Zwischensender" Bremen was put into operation. It distributed the program from Hamburg and produced daily 3–4 hours program for the NORAG.[1]

After World War II, Radio Bremen began transmitting a daily programme on AM radio on 23 December 1945 under the post-war occupation of Germany by the Allied powers. Although located in an enclave entirely surrounded by the British Zone of occupation, the city of Bremen belonged, together with Bremerhaven, to the American Zone, and radio broadcasting was therefore overseen by the American command. In 1949 Radio Bremen was chartered to be the public-law broadcaster serving the city-state Free Hanseatic City of Bremen and became a founding member of ARD in 1950.

Organization and finances

Chairmen of Radio Bremen
Term
Begin		 Term
End		 Name
1946 1957 Walter Geerdes
1957 1968 Heinz Kerneck
1968 1973 Hans Abich
1973 1974 Klaus Bölling
1974 1985 Gerhard Schröder
1985 1999 Karl-Heinz Klostermeier
1999 2009 Heinz Glässgen
2009 Jan Metzger

Finances

Every household in Germany is lawfully bound to pay a €17.50 poll tax per month as so-called "Rundfunkbeitrag" (broadcast contribution) to finance the public broadcast system.[2] The fee is collected by Beitragsservice von ARD, ZDF und Deutschlandradio.

Programming

Television

Radio Bremen produces and provides programmes for the nationwide television network Das Erste, the main national public TV channel.

Radio Bremen, together with NDR and was the called SFB, began broadcasting a regional network on 4 January 1965. The name of the network was originally "Nord 3" ("North 3"), later renamed "Norddeutsches Fernsehen N 3" ("North German Television N3"). Since December 2001 the network has been known as "NDR Fernsehen" ("North German Broadcasting: Television"). As of that change, and until 2005, Radio Bremen productions carried their own logo when transmitted on the network. On 1 January 2005 Radio Bremen began its own regional station: "Radio Bremen TV" (RB-TV). Besides the regional programming, cooperation with NDR continues. Radio Bremen and NDR produce a combined teletext service called NDR-Text. Until December 2001 it was known by the name "Nord-Text" ("North-Text").

Radio

Radio Bremen originates and transmits four radio networks, as listed below.

  • Bremen Eins (Bremen One) - a station geared to adults, consisting mostly of oldies, along with daily news in the local dialect, known as "Bremer Platt".
  • Bremen Zwei (Bremen Two) - a cultural and current affairs programme.
  • Bremen Vier (Bremen Four) - a youth-oriented station, consisting of current hits, geared to the present day youth.
  • Bremen NEXT - another youth oriented station, consisting of current urban, R&B and electronica, geared to a sightly younger audience than Bremen Vier.

Until 12 August 2017, Radio Bremen produced Nordwestradio (Northwest Radio) in conjunction with NDR, although the station was only transmitted over transmitters in Bremen and Bremerhaven. After that date, the station reverted to an exclusive operation of Radio Bremen as Bremen Zwei. Radio Bremen also co-produces the Cosmo radio network, targeted at migrant communities. It is produced with WDR and RBB.

Transmitters

Radio Bremen transmitted on 936 kHz medium wave until 13 March 2010 using the mediumwave transmitter at Leher Field. The FM and TV signals (including DVB-T) are broadcast in Bremen from the Bremen-Walle Telecommunication Tower, which is operated by Deutsche Telekom. Another transmitter, also operated by Deutsche Telekom, is used in Bremerhaven.

Radio Bremen also formerly transmitted its first programme on 6190 kHz shortwave. These transmissions have now ended.

See also
  • German television

References
  1. "1924 - 1945: Die Norag "Zwischensender" Bremen der Nordischen Rundfunk AG". Radio Bremen. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
  2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 9 March 2016.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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