Bayerischer Rundfunk Munich, The Broadcaster For People

Visiting Bayerischer Rundfunk Munich (BR) was such an amazing and insightful experience for me. As an exchange student from Bangkok, I felt like it was truly a great opportunity to explore an independent media organization in a totally different continent like BR, to see how they operate, get to know their long and meaningful history, and have a glimpse on almost every aspect of one of the german media organizations. 

The visit began with us walking through BR’s different buildings, little did we know that they’re carrying so much history behind. I learned that in 1933, the building was taken over by the Nazis and used for propaganda purposes. Later, during World War II, parts of their building were destroyed. Knowing about this background story somehow gave the place an extraordinary atmosphere, since you could be aware of how time had reshaped it from a place of control under Nazis into a freedom and neutral public media organization as the BR’s representative stated. Additionally, we got to know about the radio fees from one of the BR staff himself, which was such an insider experience.

an exclusive expereince with Susanne

After that, we got to see the radio studios, where they create sounds and creativity to the public. Watching how they produce radio programs, from recording different sounds to layering voices and sound effects made me appreciate more of the technical and artistic sides of broadcasting. Beyond that, my favorite part was being in the studio room with Susanne, where we experienced the realtime of the radio production and the making process. It was so inspiring to see how much detail and teamwork in every second they put before the on air.

The highlight for me was BR’s adaptability. Even though they began as a traditional radio broadcaster, they’re now adapting to the digital world, exploring AI tools for repetitive tasks while keeping a human focus on the important parts. It also amazed me to know their stance on AI usage, which I personally agreed with him on the idea of integrating with new technology such as AI but without replacing our job. Besides, I was struck by BR’s ethics in general. Their culture feels very flexible which is totally different from Thailand, employees aren’t tied to fixed positions, as there’s a clear mindset of them wanting to be there “for the people”. But overall, It was such a meaningful experience for me.