Sveriges Radio facts for kids
Sveriges Radio AB, often called SR, is Sweden's main public radio broadcaster. It's like a national radio station for the whole country. It's owned by an independent group and gets its money from taxes, not from ads. This means you won't hear commercials on their stations!
Logo used since 2010, incorporating the "SR" mark in the middle which has been used since 1957.
|
|
| Type | Public broadcasting |
|---|---|
| Country | |
| Headquarters | Radiohuset, Östermalm, Stockholm 59°20′5″N 18°6′5″E / 59.33472°N 18.10139°E |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Foundation Management for SR, SVT, and UR |
| History | |
| Launch date | 1 January 1925 (radio) 4 September 1956 (television) |
|
Former names
|
AB Radiotjänst (1925–1957) |
| Coverage | |
| Availability | National |
| Stations | P1, P2, P3, P4 |
Contents
How Sveriges Radio Started
Sveriges Radio began as AB Radiotjänst (which means "Radio Service Ltd"). It was created on March 21, 1924, by a group of newspaper companies and others.
Their very first broadcast was on January 1, 1925. It was a live sound from a church service in Stockholm. The company officially changed its name to Sveriges Radio in 1957.
For many years, Sveriges Radio was in charge of all broadcasting in Sweden. This included both radio and television. They even hosted the Eurovision Song Contest 1975!
Changes Over Time
In 1979, Sveriges Radio changed its structure. It became the main company for four smaller companies:
- Swedish National Radio (RR)
- Swedish Local Radio (LRAB)
- Sveriges Utbildningsradio (UR), which is for educational broadcasting
- Sveriges Television (SVT), which is for television
However, this setup changed again in 1993. The national and local radio companies joined together. They went back to using the original parent company's name: Sveriges Radio AB.
Radio Stations
Sveriges Radio offers many different channels. You can listen to them on FM radio, through digital radio (DAB), or online.
National Channels
There are four main radio channels that you can listen to all over Sweden:
- P1: This channel focuses on news, culture, and discussions. It also has readings and documentaries. You won't hear much music here, except during a summer show called Sommar. In this show, guests pick their own music.
- P2: This channel plays classical music, folk music, jazz, and world music. It also has some programs in minority languages.
- P3: This channel plays popular music and comedy. It's mostly for younger listeners.
- P4: This channel plays popular music, entertainment, and sports. It's mainly for an older audience. P4 is special because it has 26 local stations. Each local station plays a mix of local and national programs.
Local Channels
A big part of P4's programs are local. There are 26 different regions, and each one broadcasts its own local shows for most of the day. Some of these local P4 stations include:
- P4 Blekinge
- P4 Dalarna
- P4 Gotland
- P4 Gävleborg
- P4 Göteborg
- P4 Halland
- P4 Jämtland
- P4 Jönköping
- P4 Kalmar
- P4 Kristianstad
- P4 Kronoberg
- P4 Malmöhus
- P4 Norrbotten
- P4 Sjuhärad
- P4 Skaraborg
- P4 Stockholm
- P4 Södertälje
- P4 Sörmland
- P4 Uppland
- P4 Värmland
- P4 Väst
- P4 Västerbotten
- P4 Västernorrland
- P4 Västmanland
- P4 Örebro
- P4 Östergötland
There are also other radio stations available in certain local areas on FM:
- Din gata 100,6 (in Malmö): This station mostly plays hiphop and R&B music.
- SR P2 Musik (in Stockholm): This station plays most of what P2 offers. But it replaces programs in minority and foreign languages with more music.
- SR P6 89,6 (in Stockholm): This station broadcasts in minority and foreign languages. At night, it plays the BBC World Service.
Digital Channels
Sveriges Radio also has several digital channels. You can find these on DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) and online:
- P4 Plus: This channel plays a wide mix of classic and popular music.
- Sveriges Radio Finska: This channel broadcasts in Finnish and Meänkieli languages.
- Radioapans knattekanal: This is a special radio channel just for children.
- SR Sápmi: This channel broadcasts in Sami languages.
- Ekot: This channel is dedicated to news.
SR International
SR International is Sveriges Radio's channel for listeners outside Sweden. It offers programs in many different languages:
SR International does not handle programs in Swedish minority languages like Finnish and Sámi. Those languages have their own special digital channels.
In 2010, Radio Sweden announced that it would stop broadcasting on shortwave and medium wave. This change happened on October 31, 2010. Now, their international programs are only available on the internet. Some language services for immigrants in Sweden were also stopped, but programs in English, German, Persian, Dari, and Kurdish continued.
See also
- List of Swedish radio stations
- Åke Blomström Award
- Modern Times Group (a commercial broadcaster)
- Radiotjänst i Kiruna (the agency that used to collect license fees)
- Sveriges Utbildningsradio
- Swedish Broadcasting Commission
- Teracom (the company that manages transmitters)
