German talk radio recommendations?

[Keefy 3,571]

Until the recent change of frequency from 90.2 FM to 94.8 FM, I used to listen to the BBC World Service here in Belin, but reception is now rubbish.

 

In the UK I was an avid BBC Radio 4 listener, although if "The Archers" was on air, I'd switch over to Radio 5 Live pretty damn quick.

 

Therefore I'm looking for a German Radio 4 equivalent. Thus far with my dial-twiddling experiments, Deutschlandfunk is the nearest I've come to a radio station which is primarily concerned with News, Comment and Analysis.

 

Any other recommendations?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

PS - the radio(s) concerned are in the kitchen and living-room so I can listen whilst doing other things. I know I can sit down at my computer and pick up pretty much anything, but my primary concern is listening to the radio whilst doing something else.

[the vicar 152]

Before taking the radical step of tuning into German radio, couldn't you invest in an internet radio?

[keroleen 806]

Reading the topic the first station that came to mind was Deutschlandfunk - but you beat me to it Every now and then I listen to DLF, but I far prefer its sister station, Deutschlandradio Kultur. I find their topics a little lighter, sometimes DLF is a bit too serious for me (although the discussion on raising children bilingually was quite interesting this morning - but that's another story).

Apparently there is a third station called DRadio Wissen, but I haven't listened to it yet.

 

For more information see dradio.de.

[HellesAngel 1,889]

 

... I used to listen to the BBC World Service here in Belin, but reception is now rubbish.

 

I know in your title you said radio, and you say you know how to turn a computer on and play radio but you do know that there are now dozens of internet radio 'devices' that you can use to play internet radio as though it came over the air? In my kitchen I have a device that for all intents and purposes is a broadcast radio and I listen to the BBC, Radio 4 mostly as I'm an old git, all the time. The wife listens to French stuff. We can also listen to NPR if we choose. The best thing is we go weeks before we hear anything by Bryan Adams.

 

Check out the Logitech Squeezebox Radio.

[anne k 3,532]

I also have an Internet radio - it looks like a plain kitchen radio, but I have it set up to Radio 1/4, 5Live and Europe1, and the local MDR.

 

Can you get WDR5 up in Berlin? I listen to a couple of their podcasts, and they're good.

[swimmer 3,706]

This question has been asked before. ("Decent radio stations in NRW - Is there a German "Radio 4"?!"). My answer last time was HR3 but you will need internet of course. I have found it quite useful for that "double-win" thing of both learning German and about Germany at the same time. All sorts of stuff on it. Sort of a mix of radio 3 (culture and music) and radio 4's more factual stuff and plays etc.

 

Presumably for you then, RBB is your equivalent state media provider and so might have a suitable one to listen to on a traditional radio.

[cvm 299]

Alternatively, you could get to know America's National Public Radio better, as I currently am, and I'm enjyoing it. They're on FM at 104.10

[Keefy 3,571]

Many thanks for the suggestions.

 

Thus far, I've stuck with Deutschlandfunk as reception is crystal clear and some of the items are fascinating.

[Tap 7,911]

I tune into whatever station I want to listen to on my computer. I bought a pair of neat little speakers in Tchibo, plugged them in and now I can wander around and listen to whatever at the same time.

[RainyDays 2,452]

HR2, part of Hessischer Rundfunk, is focused on culture. I particularly recommend the feature-like program "Der Tag" about various current topics at 18.05 h each day. Podcasts here.

[uk2hamburg 0]

I live in the UK but speak German too. Occasionally to practice I watch German TV via DW and ARD apps on my streaming box. Now I'm looking for some German talk radio stations (not just rolling news) and not too serious, I'm looking for everyday life and opinion.

 

Would I be right in saying that major German talk channels are all very serious like DLF?

 

In the UK we've LBC with opinionated presenters and phone-ins or 5 Live for topical all day unscripted chat. I'm giving HR3 a try but don't like music interludes. Are there some German equivalents to the above UK talk channels?

[jeba 3,705]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umSvnzSs-Mk

[uk2hamburg 0]

After some hunting around on my Roberts wifi radio I've found a phone in station: Deutschland Eins. Mind you it only produces a few hours a week and is online only. Are terrestrial phone in stations really so rare in Germany?

[HH_Sailor 2,525]

ndr.de/info

 

This north german station is rolling news by day, but has discussion and features in the evenings/weekends.

 

Plays and podcasts too.

Often shares with WDR5.

 

Not heard of a solely dial in station though.

 

[hoosier-D 127]

For German I like both:

• Bayern 2
• and the complete Deutschlandradio set of stations (Deutschlandfunk, Deutschlandfunk Kultur and Deutschlandfunk Nova). Deutschlandfunk offers more talk, Kultur more culture, and Nova is the mix of music and information for the younger audience.

They can both be found in native apps (BR Radio and Das Deutschlandradio), on FM, on DAB+ or internet radio.

 

For english I listen to:

• NPR (available as the NPR Program Stream on internet radio, on the NPR One app, or, if you are in Berlin, on FM 104.1 (KCRW Berlin)) 
• and BBC (Radio 4, Radio 4 extra and the World Service). The BBC stations are available on the iPlayer Radio app, or on internet radio. Shortwave radio is also an option for the BBC World Service if you are so inclined, but the audio quality is 100% better on the iPlayer or internet radio.

 

Several podcasts are available from all of these stations. Just search for NPR, DLF or BBC within your podcast app.

 

[uk2hamburg 0]

Found a station Berliner Rundfunk 91.4 which is the closest German speaking channel I've heard to the style of the UK's BBC Five Live. Very lively chat with brief news bulletins.