Hessischer Rundfunk

Hessischer Rundfunk

Country	Germany
Slogan	Hier kommt Hessen Here comes Hesse
Headquarters	Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany
Launch date	1 April 1924 (1924-04-01) 2 October 1948 (as Hessischer Rundfunk)
Former names	Südwestdeutsche Rundfunkdienst AG (1924–1933), Reichssender Frankfurt (1934–1945), Radio Frankfurt (1945–1948)
Official website	hr.de
Language	German

Map of the nine regional broadcasting members of Germany's ARD radio/TV network.

Headquarters in Frankfurt

Hessischer Rundfunk (Hessian Broadcasting Corporation; hr) is the public broadcaster for the German state (Bundesland) of Hesse. The main offices of hr are in Frankfurt am Main. hr is a member of the ARD.

Studios

The main radio and television studios for hr are located at Bertramstraße 8, Frankfurt am Main. There are additional radio and television studios in Kassel and Wiesbaden, and additional radio studios in Darmstadt, Fulda and Gießen. hr also has offices in Berlin, Eltville, Erbach, Limburg an der Lahn and Marburg. In 2000, hr opened studios on the 53rd floor of the Main Tower in the city centre of Frankfurt. hr is also responsible for the ARD Studios in Madrid and Prague.

Finances

Licensing fees are currently €17.50 per month. Since 2013, this amount has to be paid by every household, even if there are no radio or TV receivers present. These fees are not collected directly by the hr but by the Beitragsservice that is a common organisation of ARD, its members, ZDF and Deutschlandradio.

Programming

Television

Like other regional public broadcasting networks in Germany, hr has its own "Channel Three" programming. From 1964 until 1983 it was called 'Hessisches Fernsehprogramm' ("Hessian television programme") and from 1983 until 1997 it was called 'Hessen Drei' ("Hesse Three"). In 1997 it was renamed to 'hessen fernsehen' ("hesse television"), and most recently, in October 2004 it was renamed 'hr-fernsehen' (hr-television). Since December 2013 the channel is also available in HDTV.^[1]

hr also contributes programming to Das Erste, Phoenix, KI.KA, ARTE and 3sat

Radio

hr1

hr1 plays almost exclusively middle of the road and easy listening music, chiefly from the 1965 to 1985 era, and is aimed at a 40- to 60-year-old demographic. Until 2004 hr1 had been hr's main information channel.

hr2-kultur

hr2-kultur is hr's cultural and classical-music radio channel.

hr3

hr3 is an adult-oriented popular music programme. Relaunched in the early 80s as a service targeted principally at young people, the station has aged together with its audience.

Hessischer Rundfunk's previous logo used from 1946 to 2004. This logo had a very long use for 58 years, but as of today, it is now remaining still in use as a secondary logo.

hr4

hr4 is aimed at an older listenership. It broadcasts regional news and German popular music (schlagers) and "evergreens", as well as instrumental music, folk, and light classical music.

hr-iNFO

hr-iNFO is 24-hour news radio. On weekday daytime, it provides rolling news every 20 minutes. At all other times (except overnight), it broadcasts special in-depth-reports on a range of topics, alongside a quick news summary every half-hour.

YOU FM

YOU FM is hr's music programme for young people. It has also become famous outside of Hessen and Germany for its Saturday night techno music transmissions.

Former radio channels

Hessischer Rundfunk with ARD-Sternpunkt in Frankfurt

• hr-klassik – classical music programme (closed September 2005)
• hr XXL – independent music programme for young people (1998–2003, now replaced by YOU FM)
• hr-chronos – information programme (closed 2003)
• hr-skyline – business-oriented information programme (1998–2004), now replaced by hr-info)

Musical organizations

The Hessian Broadcasting Corporation maintains 2 resident ensembles:

• hr-Sinfonieorchester (Frankfurt Radio Symphony ) – Founded in 1929 by Radio Frankfurt (the predecessor of the Hessian Broadcasting Corporation), the Frankfurt Radio Symphony is an ensemble of international renown. Its 112 musicians perform the whole spectrum of symphonic music from the Baroque era to the present day, initiating various new forms of presentation as well as undertaking experimental projects. Although the orchestra is based in Frankfurt, working principally in the German State of Hesse, it is a frequent guest at important international festivals and regularly tours the world. Since the season 2014/2015 Andrés Orozco-Estrada is the orchestra's music director. Previous important music directors include Dean Dixon, Eliahu Inbal, Dimitri Kitayenko, Hugh Wolff and Paavo Järvi.
• hr-Bigband (Frankfurt Radio Big Band) – The Frankfurt Radio Big Band started life 1946 as the dance orchestra of Radio Frankfurt (the predecessor of the Hessian Broadcasting Corporation). Since the 1970s it has become a jazz big band with the focus on concerts. The Frankfurt Radio Big Band plays approximately 50 concerts every year, performing in every possible jazz-style as well as crossing over into classic, pop, ethno-music and electronic music. After three years as the band's artist in residence, Jim McNeely assumed the position of music director in 2011..

Notable programmes

• Abendstudio (1948–2003)
• Die Hesselbachs (1949–1967)
• Chippie (1990–1995)

Notable programme hosts

• Peter Frankenfeld
• Bernhard Grzimek
• Hans-Joachim Kulenkampff

Transmitters

• Transmitter for VHF and TV on "Hohen Meißner"
• Transmitter for VHF and TV on Großen Feldberg
• Transmitter for VHF and TV on Rimberg
• Transmitter for VHF and TV on Sackpfeife in Biedenkopf
• Transmitter for VHF and TV on Würzberg
• Transmitter for VHF and TV in Essigberg in Habichtswald
• Transmitter for VHF and TV in Marburg
• Transmitter for VHF and TV on Hardberg

Internet streaming

Each of hr's six radio channels is streamed online.^[2]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hessischer Rundfunk.

• Official website (in German)

Coordinates: 50°08′08″N 8°40′32″E / 50.13556°N 8.67556°E / 50.13556; 8.67556