Westdeutscher Rundfunk facts for kids
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| Type | Broadcast radio, television and online |
|---|---|
| Country | Germany |
| Founded | 1955 |
| Headquarters | Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany |
WDR (which stands for Westdeutscher Rundfunk Köln) is a big public broadcasting company in Germany. It's based in Cologne, a city in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. WDR is part of a larger group of public broadcasters in Germany called ARD.
WDR helps create shows for the national TV channel called Das Erste. It also has its own regional TV channel, WDR Fernsehen, and runs six different radio stations for its region.
Contents
History of WDR
How WDR Started
WDR was created in 1955. Before that, there was a bigger broadcasting company called Nordwestdeutscher Rundfunk (NWDR). NWDR split into two new companies: Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR) and Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR).
NDR covered areas like Lower Saxony and Hamburg. WDR became responsible for broadcasting in North Rhine-Westphalia. WDR began broadcasting on radio on January 1, 1956. It's a great example of how regional broadcasting works in Germany.
Leaders of WDR
Here are some of the people who have led WDR over the years:
- 1926–1933: Ernst Hardt
- 1933–1937: Heinrich Glasmeier
- 1937–1941: Anton Winkelnkemper
- 1942–1945: The station was closed
- 1945–1947: Max Burghardt
- 1947–1961: Hanns Hartmann
- 1961–1976: Klaus von Bismarck
- 1976–1985: Friedrich-Wilhelm von Sell
- 1985–1995: Friedrich Nowottny
- 1995–2007: Fritz Pleitgen
- 2007–2013: Monika Piel
- Since July 1, 2013: Tom Buhrow
WDR Logos Over Time
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WDR's first logo, used from 1956 to 1970.
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WDR's second logo, used from 1970 to 1994.
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WDR's third logo, used from 1994 to 2012.
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WDR's current logo, used since 2012.
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How WDR Gets Money
WDR gets some of its money from selling short advertising spots on TV and radio. However, most of its money comes from special fees. These are called "licence fees" and are paid by households in Germany for having radios and TVs.
As of 2023, this monthly fee was €18.36. These fees are collected by a special agency that works for ARD, ZDF, and Deutschlandradio.
WDR's Services
Television Programs
WDR started its regional TV channel, Westdeutsches Fernsehen (WDF), on December 17, 1965. In 1967, WDF began broadcasting in color. The channel changed its name to West 3 in 1988, and since 1994, it has been known as WDR Fernsehen.
Most of WDR's TV shows are made at its main office in Cologne. But WDR also has smaller studios in different cities. These studios create a regular show called Lokalzeit. This show has special local news segments for areas like Aachen, Bielefeld, Bonn, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Essen, Münster, Siegen, and Wuppertal.
WDR also produces shows for the national channel Das Erste. One example is Verbotene Liebe ('Forbidden Love'), a popular show that helped many young actors become famous. WDR also helps produce the Sportschau for ARD. It also contributes to other channels like ARD Digital, 3sat, and arte.
Radio Stations
WDR has several main radio channels. You can listen to them on FM radio, digital radio (DAB+), and through cable or satellite.
- 1LIVE: This station plays popular music and is for a younger audience. It's similar to BBC Radio 1 in the UK. It also has special night-time shows.
- WDR 2: This station plays popular music for adults. It focuses a lot on news from Germany and the region, current events, and sports.
- WDR 3: This is WDR's cultural channel. It plays mostly classical music, jazz, and world music. It also has radio plays and talks about books and performing arts.
- WDR 4: This station is mainly for an older audience. Its motto is "Melodies for a good feeling." It plays catchy music, especially oldies and classic hits from the 1960s to the 1980s. About 30-40% of its music is in German.
- WDR 5: This channel focuses on spoken programs about culture and society today. In the mornings, it has a show called Morgenecho with news, interviews, and reports. It also broadcasts news programs like Mittagsecho and Echo des Tages, which are made with Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR). WDR 5 also plays children's radio shows from KiRaKa every evening and on Sundays.
- COSMO: This station is for immigrants and aims to help with integration. It plays a wide variety of world music. It's a joint project with other broadcasters.
Some WDR radio channels are only available digitally (DAB, DVB-S, DVB-C):
- 1LIVE diggi: This is a digital-only station from 1LIVE, playing different music and news.
- WDR Event: This channel broadcasts special events.
WDR has also had other radio channels in the past:
- WDR 1: This was the channel before 1LIVE.
- KiRaKa: This was a web radio station for children aged 5 to 16.
WDR's Music Groups
WDR has several professional music groups:
- WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne (WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln)
- WDR Rundfunkorchester Köln
- WDR Big Band
- WDR Rundfunkchor Köln
- Studio for Electronic Music (WDR)
More to Explore
- German television
- Public broadcasting
- Rockpalast
- WDR Computerclub
See also
In Spanish: Westdeutscher Rundfunk para niños
