Hessischer Rundfunk facts for kids
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| Country | Germany |
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| Headquarters | Frankfurt, Germany |
| Key people | Manfred Krupp, Managing Director |
| Launch date | 1 April 1924 (SÜWRAG) 2 October 1948 (Hessischer Rundfunk) |
| Former names | Südwestdeutsche Rundfunkdienst AG (1924–1933) Reichssender Frankfurt (1934–1945) Radio Frankfurt (1945–1948) |
| Language | German |
Hessischer Rundfunk (which means "Hesse Broadcasting"), often called HR, is a public broadcasting company in the German state of Hesse. It's like a TV and radio station for the people living there. HR has its main offices in Frankfurt.
It is also a member of the ARD. The ARD is a big group of public broadcasting companies all across Germany.
Contents
Where HR Makes its Shows
HR's main TV and radio studios are in a place called Dornbusch Broadcasting House. This building is in Bertramstraße, Frankfurt am Main.
They also have more TV and radio studios in Kassel and Wiesbaden. You can find other radio studios in Darmstadt, Fulda, and Gießen. HR even has smaller offices in other towns like Berlin and Marburg.
In 2000, HR opened new studios on the 53rd floor of the Main Tower in central Frankfurt. HR also helps manage the ARD's studios in other countries, like Madrid and Prague.
How HR is Paid For
Public broadcasting like HR is paid for by a special fee. This fee is currently €17.50 each month. Since 2013, every household in Germany pays this fee. It doesn't matter if they have a radio or TV. This money helps HR create its programs.
What HR Broadcasts
HR creates many different shows for TV and radio.
Television Shows
HR helps make programs for Germany's main public TV channel, Das Erste. They also contribute to other channels like 3sat, ARTE, KI.KA (a children's channel), and Phoenix.
Like other regional broadcasters in Germany, HR has its own TV channel. This channel is often called a "channel three." From 1964 to 1983, it was known as Das Hessisches Fernsehprogramm. Later, it was called Hessen Drei, and then hessen fernsehen.
Since October 2004, the channel has been known as hr-fernsehen. You can even watch it in HDTV since December 2013.
Radio Channels
HR runs several different radio channels, each with its own style.
hr1
hr1 mostly plays "middle of the road" and "easy listening" music. This music is often from the years 1965 to 1985. This channel is mainly for listeners aged 40 to 60. Before 2004, hr1 was HR's main channel for news.
hr2-kultur
hr2-kultur is HR's channel for culture and classical music.
hr3
hr3 plays popular music for adults. It started in the 1980s for young people. Over time, the station has grown up with its listeners.
hr4
hr4 is for older listeners. It broadcasts local news and German popular music, called schlagers. It also plays "evergreens," instrumental music, folk, and light classical music.
hr-iNFO
hr-info is a 24-hour news radio channel. During weekdays, it gives rolling news updates every 20 minutes. At other times, it broadcasts special in-depth reports on many topics. It also has a quick news summary every half-hour.
YOU FM
YOU FM is HR's music channel for young people. It is also known for its Saturday night techno music shows.
Past Radio Channels
- hr-klassik – This channel played classical music. It closed in September 2005.
- hr XXL – This channel played independent music for young people from 1998 to 2003. It was replaced by YOU FM.
- hr-chronos – This was an information channel that closed in 2003.
- hr-skyline – This channel focused on business news from 1998 to 2004. It was replaced by hr-info.
Musical Groups at HR
Hessischer Rundfunk has three musical groups that work for them:
- hr-Sinfonieorchester (Frankfurt Radio Symphony) – This orchestra started in 1929. It is famous around the world. Its 112 musicians play all kinds of symphonic music. They perform music from long ago to today. The orchestra often travels and plays at big festivals worldwide.
- hr-Bigband (Frankfurt Radio Big Band) – The Frankfurt Radio Big Band began in 1946. It started as a dance orchestra. Since the 1970s, it has become a jazz big band. They play about 50 concerts each year. They play many jazz styles and also mix with classical, pop, and electronic music.
- hr-Jazzensemble – This jazz group started in 1958. It was first called the Jazztett des Hessischen Rundfunks. They often record music in the studio. They have also invited famous guest musicians from around the world to play with them.
Famous Shows and Hosts
Notable Programmes
- Abendstudio (1948–2003)
- Die Hesselbachs (1949–1967)
- Chippie (1990–1995)
Notable Programme Hosts
- Peter Frankenfeld
- Bernhard Grzimek
- Hans-Joachim Kulenkampff
How HR's Signal Reaches You
HR uses many transmitters to send out its radio and TV signals. These include:
- Biedenkopf: FM radio
- Darmstadt Weiterstadt/Darmbach: FM radio
- Frankfurt (Funkhaus Bertramstraße): FM radio
- Frankfurt-Main-Tower: FM radio
- Großer Feldberg: DAB, DVB-T, FM radio
- Hardberg am Odenwald: FM radio
- Hoher Meißner: FM radio
- Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe: FM radio
- Marburg: FM radio
- Rimberg: DAB, DVB-T, FM radio
- Schlüchtern: FM radio
- Würzberg: DVB-T, FM radio
Online Streaming
You can also listen to all six of HR's radio channels online.
See also
In Spanish: Hessischer Rundfunk para niños
