About Radio F

Radio F

Radio F — also known as Radio Franken — is Nuremberg's feel-good station, "der fränkische Gute-Laune-Sender" for listeners aged 40 and above, broadcasting on FM 94.5 MHz. The station has a historic distinction: together with Neue Welle Franken (today 98.6 Charivari), it began broadcasting in Nuremberg's cable network in February 1986, making it the city's first private radio provider. Part of the Funkhaus Nürnberg Studiobetriebs-GmbH, Radio F celebrated 25 years on air in 2011. Its domain (radiof.de) is referenced by Wikipedia's French edition but was not independently load-verified during research, so no official website is asserted here.

Overview

Radio F is a private broadcaster from Franconian Nuremberg, operated within the Funkhaus Nürnberg. It describes itself as Franconia's good-mood station, targeting the middle-class 40-plus audience with entertainment music and regional information. The managing director is Alexander Koller, programme director Steffi Pankotsch. A Bavarian media-law specialty plays out on its frequency: the jazz niche broadcaster Jazztime Nürnberg holds its own licence on 94.5 MHz and is mostly perceived as a Radio F programme, since its jazz content fits the evening schedule — a "programme window" arrangement the Bavarian media authority actively supports.

History

In February 1986 Radio F began broadcasting in the cable network together with Neue Welle Franken, becoming Nuremberg's first private radio provider. It successfully applied for one of four terrestrial frequencies tendered on 25 July 1986, prevailing — together with the niche broadcaster Jazztime Nürnberg — against 36 applicants. On 3 December 1986 Radio F went on air as one of the first four private broadcasters in Nuremberg, on FM 94.5 MHz. In 2011 the anniversary year was declared: 25 years of Radio F were celebrated throughout the year with competitions, campaigns and a large event at the Volksfestplatz. Since 1 November 2012 the station has been receivable on DAB+ (block 10C) in the greater Nuremberg area; worldwide reception is via webstream.

Programming

The programme is built on good-mood entertainment music for the 40-plus audience, with regional information, service and Franconian identity. The Jazztime Nürnberg jazz window adds a specialist music dimension in the evenings, supported by both the Bavarian media authority and the Funkhaus. The station's positioning as "der fränkische Gute-Laune-Sender" gives it a distinct role within the Funkhaus portfolio alongside the youth-oriented Hit Radio N1, the rock-focused Radio Gong 97.1 and the 1980s/90s-oriented 98.6 Charivari.

Coverage & Audience

Radio F broadcasts on FM 94.5 MHz in the greater Nuremberg area, on DAB+ block 10C, via cable and as a worldwide webstream. Separately published audience figures were not available in the sources consulted.

Ownership

Radio F is part of the Funkhaus Nürnberg Studiobetriebs-GmbH, founded 13 March 1995 as an association of four independent local stations. Shareholders of the Funkhaus include Müller Medien, the Nürnberger Nachrichten, the Abendzeitung, Hubert Burda Media (whose subsidiary Burda Broadcast holds 40% of the Studio Gong group, which in turn holds 14.7% of the Funkhaus Nürnberg) and other mid-sized Bavarian media companies. The French Wikipedia edition names the Verlag Nürnberger Presse Druckhaus Nürnberg GmbH & Co. as holding 68% of Radio F itself.

Digital Presence

The station operates a website and livestream alongside apps and social media channels, extending its good-mood programme and Franconian regional content to listeners beyond the FM footprint. The digital offering serves the 40-plus audience with music, news and event content on demand.

Nuremberg's First Private Station

Radio F was Nuremberg's first private radio: its first programmes ran from February 1986 on cable, alongside "Neue Welle Franken" — months before the terrestrial frequencies were even tendered. When five FM frequencies were advertised on 25 July 1986 (36 applicants competed), Radio F won one of them and began terrestrial broadcasting on 3 December 1987 on 94.5 MHz, together with Charivari (98.6) and Gong (97.1). The station's owners are the Verlag Nürnberger Presse (68%), the Nordbayerische Verlagsgesellschaft (20%) and the Olympia-Verlag (12%) — the Franconian newspaper publishers behind the "Nürnberger Nachrichten" and the sports magazine "kicker". In 1995 Radio F co-founded the Funkhaus Nürnberg Studiobetriebs-GmbH with Hit Radio N1, Charivari 98,6 and Gong 97,1 (Pirate Radio joined in 1999), sharing editorial and production rooms for efficiency.

Der fränkische Gute-Laune-Sender

Radio F calls itself "Der fränkische Gute-Laune-Sender" ("The Franconian feel-good station"): the target group is 40+, the format "Middle of the Road" with Elvis Presley, the Rolling Stones, Bay City Rollers, Beatles and Sweet. News runs half-hourly during the day — regional news on the half hour — with information and entertainment in Franconian character. The flagship is the morning show "Guten Morgen Franken" with Steffi Pankotsch and Peter Halm; long-time presenters include Aurel Schepper, Anja Seidel, Helmut Föttinger and Günther Moosberger. Claudia Feuerstein joined the fixed team from Radio Charivari in 2020; from 1999 to 2004 even TV presenter Harry Wijnvoord was part of the team. In the Funkanalyse Bayern 2023 the station reached 104,000 daily listeners and 37,000 per hour.

Four Decades of Feel-Good Radio

Radio F is received on FM 94.5 MHz in the Nuremberg area, on DAB+ (Nuremberg 10C) and via worldwide webstream. As the oldest of the Funkhaus stations it represents continuity in Nuremberg's fast-changing dial: while competitors relaunched and renamed, the "fränkische Gute-Laune-Sender" has kept its feel-good MOR formula for nearly four decades — the first private voice of Nuremberg, still on air.

History: Nuremberg's First Private Broadcaster

In February 1986 Radio F started together with Neue Welle Franken (today 98.6 Charivari) in the cable network — making it the first private radio provider in Nuremberg. It applied successfully for one of the terrestrial frequencies tendered on 25 July 1986 and prevailed, together with the specialist provider Jazztime Nürnberg, over 36 applicants. On 3 December 1986 Radio F was among the first four private radio providers in Nuremberg to go on air via FM 94.5 MHz. In 1995 the station joined the Funkhaus Nürnberg, the association of the city's private stations founded on 13 March 1995 — one of Bavaria's largest private broadcast houses with some 125 employees, whose partners include Müller Medien, Nürnberger Nachrichten, the Abendzeitung and Hubert Burda Media. The year 2011 was declared the anniversary year: 25 Jahre Radio F was celebrated all year with competitions, actions and a big event at the Volksfestplatz. Since 1 November 2012 the station has also been receivable in the Greater Nuremberg area via DAB+ (block 10C).

Programme: The Franconian Feel-Good Station

Radio F calls itself "Der fränkische Gute-Laune-Sender" — the Franconian feel-good station — aimed at listeners over 50. It plays light music, especially schlager, oldies and some country; the station's own list of the 100 songs it played most often in its first twenty years on FM (1986–2006) reads like a schlager-and-evergreens canon, from Roy Orbison's "California Blue" to ABBA's "Take a Chance on Me". On weekends, current sports coverage of Franconian clubs — 1. FC Nürnberg, SpVgg Greuther Fürth, the Nürnberg Ice Tigers — is another focus. The managing director is Alexander Koller, the programme director Steffi Pankotsch. Reception is on FM 94.5 MHz, DAB+ block 10C, cable and a worldwide webstream — the companion programme for an older Franconian audience within the seven-programme Funkhaus Nürnberg family.

Digital Presence

Radio F reaches its audience beyond FM via the station's webstream and apps, the Funkhaus Nürnberg portal and radio aggregators, where the seven programmes of the house are presented together. The station's social channels and website carry regional news, competition actions and event information for the Franconian audience. Within the Funkhaus Nürnberg, Radio F complements its siblings: N1 for the young, Gong for rock fans, Charivari for families, Pirate Radio for alternative tastes — and Radio F for the loyal over-50s who have listened since the first day on 94.5.