Country Music on the Frequencies of Radio Herford.
Country Folk, Country Gold and Just Good Music are heard on the frequencies of Radio Herford as part of its public access programming, which in North Rhine-Westfalia has to be broadcast by the local commercial radio stations, whether they want to or not. (Most don't want to.) More about the politics of local radio under the menu item The Station.
This public access segment is open to every group of residents of the respective legal coverage area. So, a programme has to be produced by at least two persons. The programmes have to meet the usual press laws (e.g. no libelling), be technically of broadcast quality (collection of songs and announcements, assembled on a home cassette recorder does not suffice) and it needs to contain original material. Since we prefer not to sing (especially not on the radio), that means for us that we need produce spoken content. That was the original reason for our, for music programmes unusually long reports. But in the meantime these have become an established part of our programmes.
for us are, that we do not need to persuade the station that it needs a country music programme; we do not need to worry about financing the programmes, in particular we do not need to beg from sponsors; when choosing music or doing reports we not need to consider any sponsors, the funding of equipment and materials is guaranteed and the station can not assert any influence over our programme.
We are subject to the limits, especially the time limits of public access broadcasting. We are also not allowed to advertise. (Even announcing the address of an independent musician, who might be selling his own CDs is regarded as advertising!) Also the station does not trail public access broadcasts within its own programming. But on the whole the advantages outweigh the disadvantages for us, and that is the reason why our programmes are still broadcast as part of the public access segment.
But public access is not just intended for groups producing programmes regularly. It is especially intended to give airtime for groups with one-time contributions!
If you live in Northrhine-Westfalia, you are a member of a group and fulfill some more conditions, then you can produce a programme that the local station in whose legal coverage area you reside, has to broadcast, as long as it meets the legal requirements given above. (Since you are reading the English language version of this text, you might be interested to know, that your programme does not have to be in German. If it contains speech which is not readily intelligible, the station can demand a transcript in German. The translator) You do not have to buy the equipment for programme production. There are so-called radio workshops (Radiowerkstätten), which are equipped according to standards set and financially supported by the State Institution for Media (Landesanstalt für Medien). These workshops do not just have the equipment at their disposal, they also have suitable premises and qualified personnel, which can introduce you to radio programme making. Many radio workshops are run solely by volunteers!
But if you do not need any help, then you can produce your programmes using your own equipment and submit it at the radio station directly.
We personally are most happy about groups striving to enlarge the availability of Country Music on German Radio. But the subject of your radio programme is completely up to you!
The State Institution for Media (Landesanstalt für Medien Nordrhein-Westfalen (LfM)) is the body responsible for the administraion public access broadcasting (Bürgerfunk). Their information on the subject is found here: www.lfm-nrw.de/hoerfunk/buergerfunk
More information für prospective radio programme makers can be found on this page, co-sponsored by the NRW State Institution for Broadcasting: www.buergermedien.de
And if you also call Kreis Herford home, these radio workshops can help you make radio programmes (Of course the »christian« radio workshops are open for production of non-religious programmes, too!
Christlicher Medienfunk (CMF)
Blockweg 11
32289 Rödinghausen
Tel. + Fax: (0 52 26) 1 83 63
VHS im Kreis Herford
Herrn Hans-Dieter Wehmeier
Münsterkirchplatz 1
32052 Herford
Tel.: (0 52 21) 59 05-0, -26
Fax: (0 52 21) 59 05-36
e-mail: info@vhsimkreisherford.de
www: www.vhsimkreisherford.de
Ost-Westfalen-Funk (OWF)
Herrn Klaus Kuhfuss
Postfach 24 14
32014 Herford
Tel.: (0 52 21) 7 00 88
Fax. (0 52 21) 7 04 40
e-mail: Aktion@owf.info
www: www.owf-internetradio.net
Christliches Bürger-Radio (CBR)
Engerstr. 91
32051 Herford
Tel. + Fax: (0 52 21) 10 91 91
e-mail: cbr.herford@t-online.de
Arbeitsgemeinschaft Gewerkschafter im Lokalfunk im DGB
Kurfürstenstr. 14
32052 Herford
Tel.: (0 52 21) 59 76 19
Fax: (0 52 21) 5 32 38
Radio Forum Enger
Spengerstr. 13
32130 Enger
Tel.: (0 52 24) 6 97 66
CVJM Herford-Stadt e. V.
Postfach 1441
32004 Herford
Tel.: (0 52 21) 5 66 92
Fax: (0 52 21) 10 90 68