Südwestrundfunk

The Südwestrundfunk (SWR, "Southwest Broadcasting") is a public broadcasting company for the southwest of Germany, specifically the states of Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate. The company has main offices in three cities: Stuttgart, Baden-Baden and Mainz, with the director's office being in Stuttgart. It is an affiliate belonging to the ARD group. It includes two TV stations and several radio stations. The main television and radio office is in Baden-Baden, with regional offices in Stuttgart and Mainz.

SWR was established in 1998 through the merger of Süddeutscher Rundfunk (SDR, Southern German Broadcasting), formerly headquartered in Stuttgart, and Südwestfunk (SWF, Southwest Broadcasting), formerly headquartered in Baden-Baden. The new SWR service is second only to Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR, Western German Broadcasting) in size. SWR covers an area of 55,600 square kilometers, and reaches an estimated 14.7 million residents. SWR employs 3,700 in its various offices and facilities.

Studios and offices

SWR operates studios in the following cities:
* "in Baden-Württemberg": Baden-Baden, Stuttgart, Freiburg im Breisgau, Heilbronn, Karlsruhe, Mannheim, Tübingen and Ulm
* "in Rhineland-Palatinate": Kaiserslautern, Koblenz, Mainz and Trier

"Regional offices" of the SWR are located in:
*"in Baden-Württemberg": Friedrichshafen, Lörrach, Offenburg and Villingen-Schwenningen
*"in Rhineland-Palatinate": Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, Betzdorf, Idar-Oberstein and Landau, as well as a recently opened office in Worms. Plans exist for new offices in Traben-Trabach and Gerolstein.

In Baden-Württemberg there are also "Korrespondentenbüros" (roughly: "correspondence offices") for the SWR in Aalen, Albstadt-Ebingen, Biberach, Buchen, Konstanz, Mosbach, Pforzheim, Ravensburg, Schwäbisch Hall, Tauberbischofsheim and Waldshut-Tiengen.

Programming

SWR provides programs to various TV and radio networks, some done in collaboration with other broadcasters, and others completely independently.

TV programming

*Das Erste "Erstes Deutsches Fernsehen" (German Television One) - Collaborative program for the ARD. SWR's portion is 16.95 percent. SWR also contributes to ARD digital, delivered over cable and satellite networks.
*SWR Fernsehen ("Unser Drittes") - ["SWR television - Our Third"] - The channel three network for Baden-Württemberg and the Rhineland-Palatinate. The programming is transmitted in two different versions, one for Baden-Württemberg and one for the Rhineland-Palatinate. The Saarländischer Rundfunk (SR, Saarland Broadcasting) retransmits over 70 percent of these programs under the banner "SR Fernsehen" ("SR Television).
*Phoenix - Collaborative network programming between the ARD and ZDF.
*KI.KA - Children's network from the ARD and ZDF.
*arte - Franco-German cultural network
*3sat - Cultural network from the ARD, ZDF, ORF (Austrian Broadcasting), and SRG (Swiss Broadcasting).

Radio programming

*SWR1 Baden-Württemberg ("Eins gehört gehört. SWR1.") ["Number one should be heard. SWR1."] Plays pop music from 1960-1990, European pop music, contemporary hits. Target audience is adults between the ages of 30 and 55.
*SWR1 Rhineland-Palatinate ("SWR1 Rheinland-Pfalz")
*SWR2 ("Entdecken Sie SWR2") ["Discover SWR2"] Talk radio, also features radio plays, readings, classical and jazz music.
*SWR3 ("Mehr Hits. Mehr Kicks. Einfach SWR3") ["More hits. More kicks. Simply SWR3."] Pop and contemporary music. Target audience is anyone between the ages of 14 and 39.
*SWR4 Baden-Württemberg ("SWR4. Da sind wir daheim") ["SWR4. Here, we are at home."] German hits and "oldies."
*SWR4 Rhineland-Palatinate ("SWR4 Rheinland-Pfalz")
*DASDING ("DASDING +++Alles was du willst+++") ["That thing. Anything you want."] Youth-oriented programming.
*SWR cont.ra ("Contentradio") ("SWR cont.ra. Information und mehr") ["SWR cont.ra. Information and more."] News, sports, etc.

The SWR4 stations broadcast regional programming at specified times, daily. In Baden-Württemberg this includes:

* "Baden Radio" (Karlsruhe)
* "Bodensee Radio" (Friedrichshafen)
* "Franken Radio" (Heilbronn)
* "Kurpfalz Radio" (Mannheim)
* "Radio Stuttgart" (Stuttgart)
* "Radio Südbaden" (Freiburg)
** "Hochrhein Radio" (Lörrach)*
** "Ortenau Radio" (Offenburg)*
**"Radio Breisgau" (Freiburg)*
** "Radio Schwarzwald-Baar-Heuberg" (Villingen-Schwenningen)*
* "Radio Tübingen" (Tübingen)
* "Schwaben Radio" (Ulm)(* Sub-regional programming by Radio Südbaden.)

In the Rhineland-Palatinate, regional programs are broadcast Monday through Saturday. This includes:
* "Radio Kaiserslautern" (Kaiserslautern)
* "Radio Koblenz" (Koblenz)
* "Radio Ludwigshafen" (Ludwigshafen)
* "Radio Mainz" (Mainz)
* "Radio Trier" (Trier)

All of the six networks of SWR radio programming are available via internet livestream:
*SWR1 Baden-Württemberg
*SWR1 Rhineland-Palatinate ("SWR1 Rheinland-Pfalz")
*SWR2
*SWR3
*SWR4 Baden-Württemberg [Radio Stuttgart]
*SWR4 Rhineland-Palatinate ("SWR4 Rheinland-Pfalz") [Radio Mainz]
*DASDING
*SWR cont.ra

History

SWR was officially organized on 1 January 1998. The new company began broadcasting on 1 September 1998. Its predecessor organizations (SDR and SWF) were formally dissolved on 30 September 1998, and SWR officially succeeded them on 1 October 1998.

Formal broadcasting mergers:

* SWF 1 and SDR 1 became regional programmes for their respective states (Länder): SWR1 Baden-Württemberg and SWR1 Rhineland-Palatinate
* S 2 Kultur became SWR2
* SWF3 and SDR 3 became the pop station SWR3
* SWF 4 Rhineland-Palatinate became SWR4 Rhineland-Palatinate
* S 4 Baden-Württemberg became SWR4 Baden-Württemberg
* DASDING was left unchanged and continued broadcasting
* The TV broadcaster Südwest 3 (Southwest 3) became Südwest BW and Südwest RP, and today transmits as Südwest Fernsehen (Southwest TV)

The station Cont.ra began broadcasting in July 2002.

Organization

Since 1998, the Managing Director of SWR has been Prof. Peter Voss, who was previously the Managing Director of SWF. The Managing Director's office is located in Stuttgart. Seven other directors serve under him (locations of their offices in parentheses):

* Bertram Bittel – Engineering and Production (Baden-Baden)
* Peter Boudgoust – Administration (Stuttgart)
* Dr. Hermann Eicher – Legal Department (Mainz)
* Bernhard Hermann – Radio (Baden-Baden)
* Bernhard Nellessen – Television (Baden-Baden)
* Dr. Uwe Rosenbaum – Regional Programming for Rhineland-Palatinate (Mainz)
* Dr. Willi Steul – Regional Programming for Baden-Württemberg (Stuttgart)

Transmitter locations

* Fernsehturm Stuttgart (Stuttgart TV Tower - a large TV/radio transmission tower in a steel-reinforced concrete structure, also containing a tower restaurant and viewing deck)
* Transmitter Mühlacker (MW, until 2004 SW, FM)
* Rheinsender at Wolfsheim (MW, FM).
* Bodenseesender at Messkirch (MW, until 2004 SW)
* Fernsehturm Heidelberg (Heidelberg TV Tower - a large TV/radio transmission tower in a steel-reinforced concrete structure, containing a viewing deck).
* Transmitter Aalen for VHF and TV
* Transmitter Waldenburg for VHF and TV
* Transmitter Bad Mergentheim-Löffelstelzen for VHF and TV
* Transmitter Heilbronn-Obereisesheim for AM radio
* Transmitter Ulm-Jungingen for AM radio
* Transmitter Ulm-Kuhberg for VHF
* Transmitter Heidelberg-Dossenheim (formerly for AM radio, retired on 30 April 2004 from service)
* Transmitter Freiburg-Lehen for AM, VHF and TV
* Transmitter Ulm-Ermingen for VHF and TV
* Transmitter Hornisgrinde for VHF and TV
* Transmitter Raichberg for VHF and TV
* Transmitter Wannenberg for VHF and TV
* Transmitter Blauen for VHF and TV
* Transmitter Bad Marienberg for VHF and TV
* Transmitter Fernsehturm St. Chrischona (Switzerland) for VHF and TV
* Transmitter Feldberg im Schwarzwald for VHF and TV
* Transmitter Weinbiet for VHF and TV
* Transmitter Haardtkopf for VHF and TV
* Transmitter Kettrichhof for VHF and TV
* Transmitter Witthoh for VHF and TV
* Transmitter Saarburg for VHF and TV
* Transmitter Potzberg for VHF and TV
* Transmitter Eifel for VHF and TV
* Transmitter Waldburg for VHF and TV
* Transmitter Dieblich-Naßheck(Koblenz) for VHF and TV
* Transmitter Donnersberg for VHF and TV
* Transmitter Linz am Rhein for VHF and TV
* Transmitter Grünten im Allgäu for VHF

At present, there is a new TV tower at Waldenburg under construction, which should replacer in 2008 old TV tower Waldenburg.

Orchestras and Choruses

SWR operates the following musical organizations:
*"SWR Symphony Orchestra" in Baden-Baden and Freiburg - an orchestra with a rich tradition dating back to its establishment in 1946. Formerly the SWF Symphony Orchestra in Baden-Baden. Past chief conductors included Hans Rosbaud and Ernest Bour. The Orchestra is best known through the festivals ("Festspiele") in Donaueschingen.
*"SWR Radio Symphony Orchestra" in Stuttgart. Also originally organized in 1946, this was the former SDR Radio Symphony Orchestra. A former major chief conductor was Hans Müller-Kray. The Orchestra was best known through its festival appearances in Schwetzingen.
*"SWR Vocal Ensemble Stuttgart" - originally the "Southern Radio Chorus" Stuttgart, again dating from 1946.
*"SWR Radio Orchestra Kaiserslautern" - First organized in 1951, known for "light entertainment" and "light classic" music.
*"SWR Big Band" - originally the "Southern Radio Dance Orchestra", also organized in 1951, and was led for many years by Erwin Lehn.
*"SWR 3 Band" - a cover band in which several announcers of SWR3 play (e.g. Stefanie Tücking, Michael Spleht and Jan Garcia).

Responsibilities within the ARD

Within the ARD, SWR is responsible for the coordination of the joint network programming on the networks 3sat and arte as well as the main Internet site for the ARD, ARD.de. The offices for ARTE Deutschland TV GmbH are in Baden-Baden, and the offices for ARD.de are in Mainz.
SWR is also responsible for some of the foreign studios operated on behalf of the ARD:
* ARD-Studio Algiers (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia)
* ARD-Studio Buenos Aires (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay)
* ARD-Studio Geneva (covering the Geneva offices of the United Nations, as well as Switzerland and Liechtenstein)
* ARD-Studio Johannesburg (Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Swaziland)
* ARD-Studio Cairo (Egypt, Iraq, Yemen, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, United Arab Emirates)
* ARD-Studio Mexico City (Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica, Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Colombia, Cuba, Martinique, Mexico, Montserrat, Nicaragua, Netherlands Antilles, Panama, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, Venezuela)
* ARD-Studio Strasbourg/Straßburg (covering the offices of the European Union and the European Council)

Subsidiaries of SWR

The following companies are subsidiaries of SWR-Holding GmbH:

* Südwest-Werbung GmbH – Advertising for radio and TV programs
* SWR Media GmbH – Licenses of SWR, including use of excerpts and sponsorships
* Südfunk Wirtschaftsbetriebe GmbH – Handles rent/leases for the "Parkhotel Stuttgart"
* Fernsehturm Betriebs GmbH – Responsible for the viewing deck and restaurant at the Fernsehturm Stuttgart
* Schwetzinger Festspiele GmbH – Responsible for the festival at Schwetzingen
* Maran-Film-GmbH – Film production company
* Bavaria Film GmbH – Film und TV production company
* Telepool GmbH – International management for productions of SWR and other public broadcasting services
* Der Audio Verlag GmbH – Production and management for audio recordings
* TR-Verlagsunion GmbH – Print publisher of various materials related to broadcasting
* Haus des Dokumentarfilms e. V. – Not-for-profit organization responsible for various documentaries

"See also:" German television

External links

* [http://www.swr.de/ SWR.de, SWR's homepage (in German)]
* [http://www.bad-bad.de/kunst/swr_synf.htm SWR Symphony Orchestra homepage (in German)]