About Metropol FM

Metropol FM

Metropol FM (Radyo Metropol FM) is Germany's first Turkish-language radio station — founded in 1999 in Berlin under the name "Bizim Dalga" ("Our Wave"), where it is based. A 100% subsidiary of the Ludwigshafen-based Medien-Union with 25 staff, it targets German Turks aged 18–49 with Turkish music across genres, entertainment, traffic and weather service, and local, national and international news. In its target group it holds a market share of 70.1%.

Overview

Radyo Metropol FM broadcasts a complete 24-hour Turkish-language programme. Beyond the core young clientele it increasingly targets religious German-Turkish listeners — during Ramadan the fasting prayer is spoken daily at nightfall. The station reaches over half a million people in Europe and organises successful large-audience events. Managing directors are Tamer Ergün Yikici and Holger Willoh; an earlier profile named Werner Felten, who learned Turkish specifically to take journalistic responsibility for the integrative programme.

History

Founded in 1999 as Bizim Dalga in Berlin, the station launched in June 1999 on FM 94.8; in December 2010 it moved to 101.9 MHz for better inner-city coverage. It expanded to Koblenz (2001/06), Stuttgart (2004), Ludwigshafen/Mannheim, Mainz/Wiesbaden, Bremen (2016) and Frankfurt, Friedberg and Darmstadt (2019). The 2016 award of eleven NRW FM frequencies to Metropol FM by the LfM was overturned by the Düsseldorf Administrative Court on 19 July 2016 for a procedural error. Since July 2024 Berlin reception is also digital on DAB+.

Programming

The programme carries various Turkish music genres with a focus on Turkish pop, entertainment, traffic, weather and local, national and international news. Ramadan programming includes the daily fasting prayer; the station also produces successful events for a large audience.

Coverage & Audience

Metropol FM is received on FM in Berlin (101.9 MHz, Alexanderplatz), Stuttgart, Ludwigshafen/Mannheim, Mainz/Wiesbaden, Koblenz, Bremen, Frankfurt, Friedberg and Darmstadt, on DAB+ (Berlin channel 7B since July 2024), via internet livestream and on cable. The station reaches over half a million people in Europe.

Ownership

Radyo Metropol FM is a 100% subsidiary of the Medien-Union from Ludwigshafen, with 25 employees. The managing directors are Tamer Ergün Yikici and Holger Willoh.

Digital Presence

The station operates metropolfm.de with a livestream alongside apps and social media channels, extending its Turkish-language programme to listeners worldwide. The digital offering carries the station's music, news and Ramadan specials on demand and connects the German-Turkish community across Europe.

Bizim Dalga: Germany's First Turkish Radio

Radyo Metropol FM was founded in 1999 in Berlin under the name "Bizim Dalga" — "Our Wave" — as Germany's first Turkish-language radio station. It began in June 1999 on FM 94.8, moving in December 2010 to 101.9 MHz from the Alexanderplatz transmitter for better inner-city coverage; since July 2024 Berlin reception has also been digital on DAB+ channel 7B. The station was built as a 24-hour full programme for Germany's Turkish community — the "Deutschtürken" aged 18 to 49 — with Turkish music across genres, entertainment, traffic and weather service, and local, national and international news. In its target group the station holds a market share of 70.1%. An earlier profile named Werner Felten — a German who learned Turkish specifically to take journalistic responsibility for the integrative programme — as managing director; the station is now led by Tamer Ergün Yikici together with Holger Willoh, who has supported the station since its founding as commercial manager of the Moira Rundfunk GmbH.

A German-Turkish Institution

Metropol FM is a 100% subsidiary of the Ludwigshafen-based Medien-Union, employing a team of 25 experienced German-Turkish journalists. The station reaches over half a million people in Europe and has built its high profile into successful large-audience events. Beyond its modern young core clientele it increasingly targets religious German-Turkish listeners — most visibly during Ramadan, when the fasting prayer is spoken daily at nightfall. The combination of Turkish pop music, German-Turkish journalism and community events has made Metropol FM the audio home of Germany's Turkish community for more than 25 years.

The Frequency Map

From Berlin the station expanded across Germany: Koblenz (2001/06), Stuttgart (2004), Ludwigshafen/Mannheim, Mainz/Wiesbaden, Bremen (2016) and Frankfurt, Friedberg and Darmstadt (2019). The 2016 award of eleven NRW FM frequencies to Metropol FM by the LfM was overturned by the Düsseldorf Administrative Court on 19 July 2016 for a procedural error — a reminder of how contested FM capacity remains. Today Metropol FM is received on FM in all its cities, on DAB+, via internet livestream and on cable, with the livestream available Germany-wide and worldwide.

Bizim Dalga: Germany's First Turkish Radio

Radyo Metropol FM is the first Turkish-language radio station in Germany. It was founded in 1999 in Berlin under the name "Bizim Dalga" — "Our Wave" — where it still has its headquarters. The station is a 100% subsidiary of the Medien-Union in Ludwigshafen and employs 25 people. The target group is the so-called "Deutschtürken" aged 18 to 49; the programme carries various Turkish music genres, entertainment and service (traffic and weather) as well as local, national and international news. In its target group the station holds a 70.1% market share. Managing director Tamer Ergün Yikici — who played a major role in building up Metropol FM — leads the station together with Holger Willoh, who has supported it since its founding as commercial manager of Moira Rundfunk GmbH. The station, which reaches more than half a million people across Europe, also increasingly courts religious German-Turkish listeners: during the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan a fasting prayer is spoken on air every day at nightfall.

Frequencies and the NRW Setback

Metropol FM broadcasts a 24-hour programme, receivable via FM, DAB+, livestream and digital cable. FM cities: Berlin (since 1999), Stuttgart (2004), Ludwigshafen/Mannheim, Mainz/Wiesbaden, Koblenz (2001/06), Bremen (2016) and Frankfurt, Friedberg and Darmstadt (2019) — Berlin on 101.9 MHz. An award of eleven FM frequencies in North Rhine-Westphalia (Dorsten, Essen, Bochum, Hagen, Cologne, Krefeld, Mülheim, Attendorn, Lennestadt, Olpe, Herdecke) by the LfM was annulled by the Düsseldorf Administrative Court on 19 July 2016 due to a procedural error. The station belongs to a long tradition of German-Turkish broadcasting: WDR's "Köln Radyosu" has served Turkish listeners since 1964 (today part of Funkhaus Europa/Cosmo), and Turkish television followed with TD1 (1985–2007) — but Metropol FM was the first standalone Turkish radio station in the country, and remains the market leader in its community.

Radyo Metropol FM: The First Turkish Voice in German Radio

Radyo Metropol FM is the first Turkish-language radio station in Germany. It was founded in Berlin in 1999 under the name Bizim Dalga — "our wave" — and has kept its seat in the capital. It is a 100% subsidiary of the Medien-Union from Ludwigshafen and employs 25 staff. The target group is the so-called "Deutschtürken" aged 18 to 49: in its target group the station has a market share of 70.1%, and it reaches more than half a million people in Europe. The programme carries various Turkish music genres, entertainment and service such as traffic and weather, plus local, national and international news. The managing director is Tamer Ergün Yikici — who built up the station decisively — together with Holger Willoh, who has supported the broadcaster commercially since its founding as part of Moira Rundfunk GmbH. The station also explicitly courts religious German-Turkish listeners: during the Islamic fasting month Ramadan, a fasting prayer is spoken in the programme every day at nightfall.

Reception Across Germany

Metropol FM is receivable via FM, internet livestream and digital cable (Unitymedia, Kabel Deutschland): on FM in Berlin (101.9), Stuttgart (95.4, since 2004), Ludwigshafen/Mannheim (88.3), Mainz/Wiesbaden (96.0), Koblenz (107.8, since 2001/06), Bremen (97.2, since 2016) and since 2019 also Frankfurt, Friedberg and Darmstadt. An attempt to expand into North Rhine-Westphalia failed: the award of eleven FM frequencies in NRW (including Dorsten, Essen, Bochum, Hagen, Cologne, Krefeld and Mülheim) by the LfM was annulled by a judgement of the Düsseldorf administrative court on 19 July 2016 because of a procedural error. For more than 25 years the station has remained the central medium of German Turks — a community station that commercial success has made a nationwide institution.