About Radio Regenbogen

Radio Regenbogen

Radio Regenbogen is one of Baden-Württemberg's most successful private radio stations, broadcasting a hot-AC format from Mannheim across large parts of Baden and into neighbouring regions. On air since 25 March 1988, the station combines current hits with pop and soft-rock classics of the 1980s and 1990s, hourly regional news, comedy and a dense calendar of events in the "Regenbogenwelt". With around 2.94 million weekly listeners according to the ma 2025 Audio II survey, it ranks among the strongest commercial stations in Germany. Its official domain (regenbogen.de) is widely listed but could not be independently verified during research, so no website is asserted here.

Overview

Radio Regenbogen is a hot adult contemporary station: a varied mix of current hits and pop/soft-rock classics, particularly from the 1980s and 1990s, alongside hourly regional news, weather, event tips and comedy programmes. The news, weather and traffic are produced specifically for the regions — the Rhein-Neckar area around Mannheim and Heidelberg, the Freiburg/Black Forest area and the Baden-Baden/Hornisgrinde area each receive their own versions. The station is privately owned and advertising-financed, with its headquarters and main studios at Dudenstraße 12–26 in Mannheim and a second studio in Karlsruhe. The name — "Radio Rainbow" — was born from a joke: managing director Klaus Schunk reportedly dismissed agency proposals like "Radio Neufunkland" or "Rhein-Neckar-Welle" with the ironic remark that they might as well call it Radio Regenbogen, and the enthusiasm for the unusual suggestion won out.

History

Radio Regenbogen went on air on 25 March 1988 at 6 a.m. on 102.8 MHz with 10 kW from the Heidelberg transmitter, initially serving only the Rhein-Neckar region. The launch was dramatic: the originally planned start date of 1 March had to be postponed just 13 hours before going on air because of an injunction from the Stuttgart administrative court. In September 1991 the station took over Schwarzwald Radio, which had launched in Freiburg on 11 December 1987, gaining its second frequency (101.1 MHz from the Blauen transmitter); Freiburg initially continued its own programmes.

On 1 April 1994 — anticipating Baden-Württemberg's new licensing period — Radio Regenbogen also took over Radio Victoria and Radio Ladies First in Baden-Baden, which had shared the 100.4 MHz frequency from the Hornisgrinde transmitter, giving the coverage area essentially its present extent. With the new licensing period from 1 October 1994, Radio Regenbogen was licensed as a "Bereichssender" (area station), and the Freiburg programmes were reduced to regional news and jingles within a unified Baden-wide programme from Mannheim. In September 2012 the Karlsruhe studio moved from Karlstraße 23 to the ParkOffice on Ludwig-Erhard-Allee.

Programming

The programme is hot AC: current hits mixed with 1980s and 1990s pop and soft-rock classics, recognisably similar to other major commercial stations but differentiated by regional content and personality. Comedy is a station trademark, with programmes presented by veteran entertainers. Every hour brings regional news, and the service elements — weather, traffic, event tips — are versioned for each region. Beyond the radio programme, Radio Regenbogen organises regular events across the "Regenbogenwelt", the affectionate name for its broadcast area. A large family of web-only channels extends the brand by decade and genre: 80er, 90er, 2000er, 2010er, Top40, Oldies, Schlager, Unplugged, Kinderlieder, In The Mix, plus seasonal channels and the Regenbogen 2 sub-brand (Deutschrock, Country, Liedermacher, Beatles).

Coverage & Audience

Radio Regenbogen broadcasts on FM across Baden: 102.8 MHz from Heidelberg for the Rhein-Neckar region, 101.1 MHz from the Blauen for Freiburg and the High Rhine (also receivable in German-speaking Switzerland), and 100.4 MHz from the Hornisgrinde for Baden-Baden and the northern Black Forest. The station is also carried on DAB+, cable, satellite and as a worldwide webstream. The ma 2025 Audio II survey credits Radio Regenbogen with approximately 2.94 million listeners per week — a figure that makes it one of the highest-reach private stations in Germany and the strongest commercial station in its broadcast area.

Ownership

Radio Regenbogen is operated by Radio Regenbogen Hörfunk in Baden GmbH & Co. KG, a privately held broadcasting company based in Mannheim. The station's shareholders historically included regional press and media interests; the company structure reflects the Baden-Württemberg model of regional commercial broadcasting with local capital participation.

Digital Presence

The station maintains a livestream, a wide range of web-only channels and active social media presences on Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube. The digital channel family — decades channels, genre streams like Hip-Hop & R'n'B and Deutsch-Pop, the ROCK FM sub-brand and seasonal offerings — makes Radio Regenbogen one of Germany's most prolific web-radio operators. Event promotion and ticket sales through the station's platforms complete a digital ecosystem built around the "Regenbogenwelt" brand identity.

History: A Name Born From a Joke

Radio Regenbogen is one of three private Bereichssender (regional stations) in Baden-Württemberg, based in Mannheim, and its name is the result of a throwaway joke. The story: after a long search for a name, then-managing director Klaus Schunk reacted to agency proposals such as Radio Neufunkland or Rhein-Neckar-Welle with the not-serious comment "we might as well call it Radio Regenbogen" (rainbow). The enthusiasm for the unusual proposal won out — and it became the name of the new programme.

The broadcast start was on 25 March 1988 at 6:00 a.m. on FM 102.8 MHz from the Heidelberg transmitter with initially 10 kW of power for the Rhine-Neckar area; the originally planned start of 1 March had to be postponed 13 hours before the scheduled launch due to an interim injunction of the Stuttgart administrative court. In September 1991 the station took over Schwarzwald Radio in Freiburg, gaining its second frequency, 101.1 MHz from the Blauen transmitter (own programmes from Freiburg were gradually reduced with the new licence period on 1 October 1994, when Radio Regenbogen was licensed as a Bereichssender with a uniform Baden-wide programme from Mannheim, plus regional news and jingles). On 1 April 1994 it also took over Radio Victoria and Radio Ladies First in Baden-Baden, which had shared airtime on 100.4 MHz from the Hornisgrinde transmitter — giving the coverage area its present extent: three FM frequencies along the Rhine corridor from Mannheim to Basel including Alsace.

Germany's Most Successful Private Regionals

Today Radio Regenbogen is among the most successful private stations in Germany: according to ma 2025 Audio II it reaches about 2.94 million listeners per week, with studios in Mannheim, Karlsruhe, Offenburg and Freiburg. The music format is Hot AC — varied current hits plus pop and soft-rock classics from the 1980s and 1990s — under the claim "Badens Hitradio" and the slogan "Wir lieben Musik". News, weather and event tips are regionalised throughout the day; the station voice is Ingo Albrecht. Management is led by Klaus Schunk (chairman) and Gregor Spachmann. The stakeholders include the Dr. Haas GmbH (Mannheimer Morgen) and, since 2003, the RTL Group; the station is a founding partner of the Popakademie Baden-Württemberg GmbH in Mannheim. On 1 July 2016 the company added Regenbogen Zwei — "the radio for the Kurpfalz" with maximum rock'n'pop for 35- to 54-year-olds — on the former sunshine live frequencies in the Heidelberg/Mannheim area.

Events, Awards and Digital Presence

Beyond the programme, Radio Regenbogen has positioned itself as an event broadcaster with in-house conceived major events: the Radio Regenbogen Award — the awarding of the Baden-Württemberg media prize grown into an international-level event — and the annual charity gala Ball der Sterne, which has raised over 1.7 million euros for charitable institutions. There are media partnerships with sports clubs, and more than 30 digital channels alongside the FM broadcast: streams for 80s, 90s, 2000s hits, hip-hop, Christmas hits, schlager, rock and metal, plus regional streams for the Kurpfalz and the sub-regions. Reception is on FM 102.8 (Heidelberg), 101.1 (Blauen) and 100.4 (Hornisgrinde), DAB+, DVB-S, cable and webstream. From a jokingly chosen name in 1988 to a Baden-wide media brand: Radio Regenbogen remains the rainbow over the southwest.