About Charivari 98.6

Charivari 98.6

98.6 Charivari is Nuremberg's variety station for Franconia, broadcasting "Echte Abwechslung für Franken" (real variety for Franconia) on FM 98.6 MHz. Part of the Funkhaus Nürnberg group, the station began in February 1986 as Neue Welle Franken in the cable network — the region's second private broadcaster — and relaunched as Charivari on 3 December 1986 after winning one of the tendered terrestrial frequencies against 36 applicants. The programme is built on regional information with entertainment music from the 1980s to today, targeting 40-to-60-year-olds with a daily reach of 75,000 listeners. Its domain (986charivari.de) is widely referenced but was not independently load-verified during research, so no official website is asserted here.

Overview

98.6 Charivari is a private Nuremberg broadcaster in the Funkhaus Nürnberg group, operated under the BLM licence name "98.6 charivari". The programme broadcasts almost exclusively regional information, musically dominated by entertainment music from the 1980s to today — current hits plus the "charivari Greatest Hits". The target group is 40-to-60-year-olds; the daily reach is 75,000 listeners with an hourly reach of 29,000 — notably with about twice as many women (49,000) as men (26,000). The managing director is Alexander Koller, programme director Patrik Rist. The presenting team includes Claudia Feuerstein, Gerald Kappler, Tatjana Engelhardt, Nina Tasset, Jens Urban and Pit Gregorg; the station fulfils the legal involvement of church associations with regular short contributions by Protestant pastor Karl-Christian Götzger ("Götzgers Welt").

History

The station's origins lie in the Oschmann-Müller media group (telephone-directory publishing). From February 1986 the programme was receivable in the cable network under the name Neue Welle Franken. The relaunch as Charivari followed on 3 December 1986 — making it the region's second private broadcaster even before terrestrial broadcasting began. Radio Charivari successfully applied for one of five terrestrial frequencies tendered on 25 July 1986, prevailing against 36 applicants, though it had to share the split frequency with the niche provider Radio Aladin until May 2001 (weekends 2–6 p.m.). On 3 December 1986 Radio Charivari went on air as one of four private broadcasters on FM 98.6 MHz. Early criticism focused on excessive advertising and later on a too-narrow music format with only a few hundred titles in rotation; today variety is part of the station's self-image.

Programming

The programme combines regional information — Charivari 98.6 broadcasts almost exclusively Franconian content — with entertainment music from the 1980s to today. Web channels including Discomania and Chillout extend the brand into disco and chill-out formats. The church contributions ("Götzgers Welt") fulfil the Bavarian legal requirement for church-association participation in private broadcasting.

Coverage & Audience

98.6 Charivari broadcasts on FM 98.6 MHz in the greater Nuremberg area, on DAB+, via cable and as a worldwide livestream. The daily reach is 75,000 listeners with an hourly reach of 29,000 (figures cited from the station's audience data).

Ownership

98.6 Charivari belongs to the Funkhaus Nürnberg group, founded 13 March 1995. The Funkhaus shareholders include Müller Medien, the Nürnberger Nachrichten, the Abendzeitung, Hubert Burda Media interests and other mid-sized Bavarian media companies. The station's roots in the Oschmann-Müller directory-publishing group link it to the same family behind the Neue Welle group in Munich.

Digital Presence

The station operates a website and livestream alongside apps and social media channels on Facebook and Instagram, with web channels Discomania and Chillout extending the variety brand. The digital offering carries the station's Franconian regional information and music formats to listeners beyond the FM footprint.

From the Phone-Book Publisher to the Airwaves

The origins of 98.6 Charivari lie in the Oschmann-Müller-Mediengruppe — a telephone-directory publisher. From February 1986 the programme was on cable under the name "Neue Welle Franken"; the relaunch as Charivari followed on 3 December 1986, making it the region's second private station even before terrestrial broadcasting began. Charivari successfully applied for one of the five terrestrial frequencies advertised on 25 July 1986, prevailing against 36 applicants; on 3 December 1987 it went on air as one of four private broadcasters on FM 98.6 MHz. Until May 2001 it shared the split frequency with the specialist provider Radio Aladin, which shaped the programme on Saturdays and Sundays from 2 to 6 p.m. The owner is the Neue Welle Bayern GmbH (91.29%); managing director Alexander Koller, programme director Patrik Rist.

Echte Abwechslung für Franken

98.6 Charivari broadcasts almost exclusively regional information, with entertainment music from the 1980s to today under the slogan "Echte Abwechslung für Franken" ("Real variety for Franconia"). Early criticism — first for excessive advertising, later for a too-tight music rotation of a few hundred titles — gave way to variety as the station's self-image. The target group is 40-to-60-year-olds (50,000); daily reach is 75,000 listeners — including about twice as many women (49,000) as men (26,000) — with an hourly reach of 29,000. Presenters include Gerald Kappler, Tatjana Engelhardt, Nina Tasset, Jens Urban and Pit Gregorg; the station fulfils the legal participation of church associations with regular short contributions by the Protestant pastor Pfarrer Götzger ("Götzgers Welt").

The Funkhaus Nürnberg Alliance

In 1995 Charivari co-founded the Funkhaus Nürnberg Studiobetriebs-GmbH with Hit Radio N1, Gong 97,1 and Radio F (Pirate Radio joined in 1999), sharing editorial and production rooms for economic efficiency — one of German local radio's most successful cooperation models. The station is received on FM 98.6 MHz in the greater Nuremberg area, on DAB+ (Nuremberg 10C), via cable and worldwide livestream — Franconia's variety station, on air since the cable days of 1986.

History: From Neue Welle Franken to Charivari

The station's roots lie in the Oschmann-Müller media group (a telephone-directory publisher). From February 1986 the programme was receivable in the cable network under the name Neue Welle Franken; the relaunch as Charivari followed on 3 December 1986 — making it the second private broadcaster in the region even before terrestrial transmission began. Radio Charivari applied successfully for one of the five terrestrial frequencies tendered on 25 July 1986, prevailing over 36 applicants — though until May 2001 it had to share a split frequency with the specialist provider Radio Aladin, which shaped the programme on Saturdays and Sundays between 2 and 6 p.m. On 3 December 1987 Charivari was among four private radio providers to first go on air via the FM frequency 98.6 MHz. Today it belongs to the Funkhaus Nürnberg group.

An 80s-Based AC for the 30-to-55s

According to the Bavarian media authority BLM, 98.6 Charivari broadcasts a 24-hour full programme as a "Public Value" offering: an 80s-based AC format, predominantly pop and rock music from that decade supplemented by current songs of recent decades, with almost exclusively regional information. The target group is 30- to 55-year-olds. The slogan is "Echte Abwechslung für Franken" — real variety for Franconia. The managing director is Alexander Koller, the programme director Patrik Rist. The FM licence runs until 30 June 2030 and the DAB+ licence (block Nürnberg 10C, on air since 10 September 2012) until 30 June 2031.

Nuremberg's Best-Known Local Radio

Charivari 98.6 is received on FM 98.6 MHz in the Greater Nuremberg area, additionally via cable and DAB+ (block Nürnberg 10C), plus a worldwide livestream, apps and radio aggregators. The broadcast centre is the Funkhaus Nürnberg at Ulmenstraße 52 h, 90443 Nuremberg. The name Charivari — a colourful jumble — is also used by sister stations in Munich, Regensburg, Rosenheim and Würzburg, each operated independently for its own region. Four decades after its cable debut, 98.6 Charivari remains Nuremberg's best-known local radio station: a regional AC programme with decades of continuity in a city that once shared its frequency.