Radio Bremen

Radio Bremen logo

Radio Bremen's headquarters building

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.

History

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 Euro poll tax per month as so called "Rundfunkbeitrag" (broadcast contribution) to finance the public broadcast system. . 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. These are known as "Bremen Eins" (Bremen One), "Bremen Zwei" (Bremen Two), "Bremen Vier" (Bremen Four) and "Bremen NEXT". Programming on Bremen One consists mostly of oldies, geared to adults, and includes daily news in the local dialect, known as "Bremer Platt". Bremen Zwei describes itself as the "curious, inspiring and challenging" programme. It includes number of cultural and current affairs features. Programming on Bremen Four consists of current hits, geared to the present day youth. Programming on Bremen NEXT consists of current urban, R&B and electronica, geared to a sightly younger audience than Bremen Vier.

• Until 21 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 936kHz 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 6190kHz shortwave. These transmissions have now ended.

See also

• German television

External links

• Radio Bremen