About Energy Berlin

Energy Berlin

Energy Berlin (styled ENERGY Berlin) is the capital-city station of the French NRJ Group — Europe's largest commercial radio group — and its first German outpost. Launched on 12 August 1991 on the frequency 103.4 MHz, previously home to the left-alternative station Radio 100, it began NRJ's expansion outside France. The CHR programme is produced entirely in Berlin (studios at Leipziger Platz in Mitte, formerly Ernst-Reuter-Platz in Charlottenburg) for the 14–39 target group. The operator is the Radio 103,4 MHz Berlin GmbH; managing directors are Stefan Hoppe and Olaf Hopp, programme director Florian Streso.

Overview

Energy Berlin is a private CHR broadcaster for the Berlin-Brandenburg metropolitan region under the slogan "Hit Music Only". Individual shows are also aired by other Energy stations, and the station's programmes are made in Berlin. It launched the NRJ Group's German adventure: further stations followed in Saxony, Munich, Hamburg, Nuremberg, Stuttgart, Bremen and beyond.

History

Energy Berlin began on 12 August 1991 on 103.4 MHz, taking over from the left-alternative Radio 100. With the launch, the NRJ Group went on air in the Berlin conurbation and for the first time in Germany. The station became the model for the group's German expansion, with ENERGY Media GmbH marketing the NRJ-majority Energy stations in Germany since 1996. Until 2014 Energy Berlin hosted the free open-air concert series "Energy in the Park" on a floating stage at the Strandbad Wannsee, attended by around 30,000 guests each year; since 2015 the annual Energy Music Tour takes place in the Berliner Kulturbrauerei.

Programming

The CHR full programme plays current hits for 14–39-year-olds with Berlin news and service, under the "Hit Music Only" slogan. Individual shows are shared across the Energy network; the Berlin studios produce programmes also used by other stations.

Coverage & Audience

Energy Berlin broadcasts on FM 103.4 MHz in the Berlin-Brandenburg metropolitan region, via cable, digital and livestream.

Ownership

The operator is the Radio 103,4 MHz Berlin GmbH, part of the French NRJ Group — Europe's largest commercial radio group, founded by Jean-Paul Baudecroux in Paris in 1981 and listed on Euronext Paris.

Digital Presence

The station operates energy.de/berlin with a livestream alongside apps and social media channels, extending its CHR programme to listeners beyond the FM footprint. The digital offering carries the station's hits, Berlin news and event formats on demand.

NRJ's First Step into Germany

Energy Berlin began broadcasting on 12 August 1991 on the frequency 103.4 MHz — previously home to the left-alternative station Radio 100 — and with that launch the French NRJ Group went on air in the Berlin conurbation and, for the first time, in Germany. The group, founded by Jean-Paul Baudecroux in Paris in 1981 and listed on Euronext Paris, had conquered France in the 1980s with NRJ, Chérie FM and Rire et Chansons; Berlin was its first step across the French border. The CHR programme was produced entirely in Berlin for the 14-to-39 target group, at first from studios at Ernst-Reuter-Platz in Charlottenburg, later from Leipziger Platz in Mitte near Potsdamer Platz. The operator, Radio 103,4 MHz Berlin GmbH, is led by managing directors Stefan Hoppe and Olaf Hopp with programme director Florian Streso.

Energy in the Park

Until 2014 Energy Berlin hosted the free open-air concert series "Energy in the Park" every summer: since 2003 national and international pop musicians performed on a floating stage in the Strandbad Wannsee, with the concerts attended by around 30,000 guests each year. The floating-stage concerts became one of Berlin's signature summer music events. Since 2015 the station has staged the annual Energy Music Tour in the Berliner Kulturbrauerei, continuing the live-music tradition in a new format. The event formats underline the station's role in Berlin's pop culture well beyond the daily CHR programme.

The German Energy Family

Energy Berlin became the model for the NRJ Group's German expansion: further stations followed in Saxony (Energy Sachsen in Leipzig, Chemnitz and Dresden since 1993, Zwickau since 1995), Munich (Energy München since 1994), Hamburg (Energy Hamburg since 1995), Nuremberg (Energy Nürnberg since 1995), the Stuttgart region (Energy Stuttgart since 2001), Bremen (Energy Bremen since 2003) and North Rhine-Westphalia (Energy NRW since 2021), plus the nationwide DAB+ station Energy Digital since August 2011. Since 1996 the ENERGY Media GmbH has marketed the NRJ-majority Energy stations in Germany. Energy Berlin remains the group's German flagship — the station where the NRJ story in Germany began.

Born from Radio 100's Ashes

ENERGY Berlin began on 12 August 1991 on 103.4 MHz — the frequency previously held by the left-alternative Radio 100. On 28 February 1991 Radio 100's managing director Thomas Thimme had declared the station insolvent and, in a "night-and-fog operation", locked the morning editorial team out of the studios. The frequency was re-tendered by the Berlin cable council: alongside other bidders, the French NRJ group — massively backed by Thimme — competed against former Radio 100 staff. In May 1991 the decision went to NRJ. The station, frequency and even managing director Thimme were taken over by NRJ; from mid-August 1991 a commercial station called "Radio Viva Berlin" aired on the frequency, soon renamed ENERGY Berlin. The operator is Radio 103,4 MHz Berlin GmbH, part of the French NRJ Group — Europe's largest radio group. The CHR programme targets 14- to 39-year-olds and is produced entirely in Berlin; the studio sits at Leipziger Platz in Berlin-Mitte near Potsdamer Platz (previously at Ernst-Reuter-Platz in Charlottenburg). Managing directors Stefan Hoppe and Olaf Hopp; programme director Florian Streso.

Energy in the Park

Until 2014 ENERGY Berlin staged the free open-air concert series "Energy in the Park" every summer: since 2003 national and international pop musicians performed on a floating stage at Berlin's Strandbad Wannsee, with around 30,000 guests each year. Since 2015 the annual Energy Music Tour at the Kulturbrauerei has continued the live tradition. The station is the Berlin-Brandenburg flagship of the NRJ Group — founded in 1981 by Jean-Paul Baudecroux in Paris ("NRJ" originally stood for Nouvelle Radio Jeune), today operating stations across Europe from Belgium to Germany. In Germany the group's stations include ENERGY Berlin (103.4), Hamburg (97.1), München (93.3), Nürnberg (106.9), Sachsen, Stuttgart and ENERGY NRW — all CHR youth formats with local production, united under one of Europe's most recognisable radio brands.

The Station on 103.4

Energy Berlin began on 12 August 1991 on FM 103.4 MHz, on the frequency previously used by the left-alternative station Radio 100, whose operation had ended in February 1991. The operator is the Radio 103,4 MHz Berlin GmbH, part of the French NRJ Group. The programme targets 14- to 39-year-olds and is produced entirely at the Berlin location — today in the studio on Leipziger Platz in Berlin-Mitte near Potsdamer Platz (previously on Ernst-Reuter-Platz in Charlottenburg). ENERGY is the biggest international radio brand, with over 600 frequencies in 15 countries; in Germany the Energy stations broadcast in Munich, Berlin, Hamburg, Nuremberg, Stuttgart, Saxony and Bremen, plus more than 40 webradio channels. Podcasts from the house include Nachspielzeit, Die ENERGY WG and Green Up Your Life! — and the slogan remains "Hit Music Only!".

The ENERGY Brand and Digital Channels

The ENERGY brand behind Energy Berlin is one of the world's largest international radio brands, with more than 600 frequencies in 15 countries. From the Berlin flagship the network extends across Germany's Energy stations and dozens of webradio channels for genres from Black and House to Rock — plus the station's own podcasts and the energy.de/berlin portal. What began on 103.4 MHz in 1991 has grown into a multi-platform hit-music brand with Berlin as its German home.