Public Broadcasting in Germany: Visiting Bayerischer Rundfunk

Hi again readers! Let me tell you all about the interesting experience I had at our first field trip within the course of Professional Communication.

We got the opportunity to visit one of Germany’s biggest public media broadcast institutions in person: Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR). Personally I was looking forward to this experience a lot, and it did not disappoint. My first thought entering the institution was the impressive size of it. We learned that BR has a total of around 5000 employees, with roughly 1900 dedicated to radio and the rest working in TV and within other areas.

We got to see the props studio for making their radioplays, which was fascinating. Before this visit, I had personally never heard about radio plays so I was eager to learn. I was particularly impressed by how much authenticity plays a role in their work. Considering today’s digitalized society, they still use live actors and real props. For example, they showed us a purpose-built room that blocks out noise so that the sound appears as if it comes from a distance. Seeing this dedication to realism and detail really highlighted the care and creativity that goes into each radioplay. I also learned that they have produced over 4000 radioplays since the 1960s, which is impressive.

During the visit we also got the chance to see the presenter Susanne Rohrer working live during a radio broadcast. Seeing everything happen in real time was very interesting, especially seeing how she handled the broadcasting with great professionalism demonstrating how coordinated live radio needs to be.

Lastly it was interesting to learn that their funding comes from a public service fee, to ensure that BR can operate without political influence and stay as neutral as possible. In Sweden we also used to have this type of fee for public TV and radio, called “TV- och radiolicens”, although in 2019 it was abolished and replaced by a public service fee that is automatically collected through our taxes now instead.

Visiting Bayerischer Rundfunk left me reflecting on the challenges public media faces today. Balancing tradition and innovation, serving the public while remaining independent, and adapting to new technologies and audiences can be a hard task to fulfill. It was inspiring to see a large and professional institution in their work to maintain its mission while evolving to meet the needs of a modern, diverse audience.

Inside Bayerischer Rundfunk 2025: Live radio studio, captured by Tindra Karre.