Field Trip to BR Funkhaus

Last November 26^th, we had our second field trip to the broadcasting studios of Bayerischer Rundfunk with the course of Professional Communication in Munich. The studios are located in the center of Munich; therefore, it was very easy to access to them.

A nice young girl was our guide tour for the day, and showed us three of the eight radio studios of BR. The tour started off with a brief explanation of the company and its main features. Bayerischer Rundfunk is a public-service television and radio broadcaster. It was founded in Munich and aired its first program on 30 March 1924. Of course, the first main broadcasts consisted mainly of news announcements, weather, music… But as they grew, their offer of content was expanded in to what it is today, and they include really interesting content such as: radio plays, opera, religious services, language courses… As a fact, BR provides programs to various radio and TV networks, some done independently, and others in collaboration with other broadcasters. It has two main television channels: BR Fernsehen and ARD- alpha; and, collaborates with many others. As for the radio, it is in charge of several local channels such as: Bayern 1 (popular music and information); Bayern 2 (news, documentaries…); Bayern 3 (pop music); BR- Klassik (music documentaries, classical music…); and, B5 aktuell, that offers various contents such as international news, thematic programs…

Even though it has eight studios, we only visited three due to the limited time we had. The first studio we visited was a very big one, which is sometimes used for concerts and festivals. The staff was preparing it for the Winterfestival, which was taking place just the weekend after. Luckily, we got to see some light shows in premiere and it was amazing! After this, we went to the second studio, where Bayern 2 records radio plays. Within this studio you could find lots of different objects such as: chairs, stairs, beds, cups, silverware…. All used in order to make the sounds needed for the show. The guide showed us some really cool tricks such as: walking stairs, echo, rain, snow, sand, wind… I actually did not know that the radio made radio plays, and it was very interesting to learn about it. Within this studio, there was also a soundproof room and we had the opportunity to go inside. People screamed inside and the ones on the outside did not hear anything! Our last stop was to the studios of Bayern 3; where we got in one of the studios and met two of the hosts. One of the hosts we met was Jacqueline Belle, who hosts a show on Bayern 3 from 16.00 pm to 19.00 pm. Apart from hosting a show, she also speaks roles and characters in TV series, computers games, cinema blockbusters… I loved her spontaneity and the way she managed to entertain the listeners. Afterwards, we got to see how they did the live show and, it was really fun because I had never seen it before!

Even though I recently took a radio course back in Spain, real radio has nothing to do with it. If it was hard enough for me to talk in front of my classmates, I can´t imagine how hosts feel when they talk in front of thousands of people. One of the things that surprised me the most, was how punctual and organized the radio is. Since most of the shows are live, everything has to follow a schedule and be on time; which requires a high degree of concentration, that is admirable. Another interesting thing is the primary skill of communication the hosts have: they have the ability to talk about any topic, and yet make it interesting for the listener. Also, they must always be aware of what´s going on, in order to keep the listeners informed. Since it was my first time on a radio studio, I really enjoyed this visit and all the explanations from the tour guide. I have always loved listening to the radio because it frees your creativity; since you don´t get any pictures, you are able to make your own reality out of it. I am very grateful for this opportunity because I don´t think I would have been able to visit these studios within other circumstances. Nevertheless, I found the visit too short. I wish we could have visited more studios! But overall, we all had a great time and learned a lot of inside things that can be applied into our communication studies.