NPR Berlin
| City | Berlin, Germany |
|---|---|
| Slogan | Berlin's NPR News Station |
| Frequency | 104.1 MHz |
| First air date | April 2006 |
| Language(s) | English |
| Owner | NPR Media Berlin gGmbH (a German nonprofit) |
| Webcast | Listen live |
| Website | http://www.nprberlin.de/ |
NPR Berlin is the first international affiliate of the American public radio network, NPR.[1] The station started broadcasting in April 2006. It replaced a radio station from Voice of America that previously broadcast on the 104.1 MHz frequency. The affiliate is operated by NPR Media Berlin gGmbH, a German nonprofit organization[2] of which NPR is the sole shareholder. NPR Berlin is in the unique position of being the only NPR affiliate with a broadcast area outside the United States.[3] Although stations in the Armed Forces Network also carry some NPR programming, they are not NPR affiliates.
Much like NPR stations in the States, the station depends on tax-deductible donations from its listeners to operate.[2] Pledge drives take place twice a year. If the station falls short on listener funding, the difference is made up by NPR headquarters.
In 2010 the station's pledge drive resulted in 92 listeners donating around €8000.[4]
A web stream was added to FM broadcasts on 2 August 2010.
The station is currently the only NPR station directly operated by NPR itself.
NPR's financial statements published in December 2016 included the following statement about their operations in Berlin:
"Management is pursuing options that will reduce the financial subsidy provided by NPR Inc. to NPR Media Berlin, including relinquishing the FM radio station license and closing NPR Media Berlin." [5]
In the first quarter of 2017, NPR returned its broadcast license to the regulator, Medienanstalt Berlin-Brandenburg (MABB), to take effect as of 1 September 2017. NPR plans to become solely a content provider to the station. The station's broadcasting license was originally planned to last until 31 March 2020. MABB invited tenders for a new operator of the frequency on 12 April 2017. The new license is valid for a maximum of seven years.
NPR spent $181,443 on the station in fiscal year 2015.[6]
Programming
Most of NPR Berlin's schedule consists of syndicated NPR programming and some live shows.[7] Its original content is limited to a show called Berlin Journal (airing infrequently) and features like Events Calendar, Life in Berlin and Berlin Stories.[8][2] The station also carries some English-language output from partners like Deutsche Welle.
References
- ↑ "NPR Berlin to Offer Original Christmas Day Special: The Story Behind Leonard Bernstein's Historic Berlin Performance of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9". www.npr.org. Retrieved 2016-03-19.
- 1 2 3 "Support". www.nprberlin.de. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
- ↑ "Overview And History". NPR.org. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
- ↑ "Der Sound von Berlin". tagespiegel.de.
- ↑ "Consolidated Financial Statements" (PDF). npr.org.
- ↑ "NPR aims to stop operating its Berlin station".
- ↑ "NPR Berlin Radio Schedule | NPR Berlin". nprberlin.de. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
- ↑ "Berlin Journal". nprberlin.de. Retrieved 2016-03-20.