Deutschlandfunk is a German public broadcasting network which specializes in current affairs and news. They have an extensive network of FM stations throughout the country and several MW (AM) stations. They have broadcast on longwave and shortwave in the past, but these outlets have closed down.
They were an easy catch on MW when we lived in Southern Germany. I sent a report of their shortwave outlet for which they returned a QSL card. They also sent QSLs for two longwave, five medium wave, and one FM outlets. I recently heard their 1422 outlet here in Maryland for which they verified my reception report.
Bayerischer Rundfunk is a “public service” broadcaster for the German state of Bayern (Bavaria). As they were a local station to where we lived near Munich and they were a good QSL verifier, I decided what the heck, I would send them reception reports. In addition to the FM and MW outlets I heard in Germany, I also verified them on shortwave (6085 kHz) from Maryland.
I ended up with 16 FM stations, two MW stations, and one SW station verified by them.
(Click on the thumbnails for full views of the QSLs)
BRF
Hof
530 KHz
Bayerischer Rundfunk
Dillberg/Ismaning
801 kHz
BRF 1
Grunten
90.7 MHz
BRF 3
Hoher Bogen
94.7 MHz
Bayerischer Rundfunk
BRF 3
Grunten
95.8 MHz
BRF 3
Hochberg
95.9 MHz
BRF 3
Inntal
95.9 MHz
BRF 3
Kreuzberg
96.3 MHz
Büttelberg
99.3 MHz
Bayerischer Rundfunk
BRF 3
Ismaning
97.3 MHz
Brotjackriegel
94.4 MHz
Hohe Linie
99.6 MHz
Ochsenkopf
99.4 MHz
When we lived in Germany in the late 1980’s, we would take weekend trips to different parts of Germany and surrounding countries. If we were within range of AFN stations we would try to listen to them. The blog below captures some of our experiences in listening to AFN stations throughout Germany.
(NOTE: Be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom to see all of the QSLs and clips. You will need to click on the arrows to hear the audio clips. )
Hope you enjoy!
AFN Munich
When we lived in Southern Germany, AFN Munich was the station we listened to most often. There were several stations in their network. The QSL is for their 1107 kHz outlet.
AFN Munich
1107 kHz
Munich
1987
Transmitter
Frequency
Power
On the air status
Munich-Imaning
1107 kHz
40 kW
off in 2005
Augsburg
1485 kHz
1 kW
off in 1998
Berchtesgaden
1485 kHz
300 W
off-the-air
Garmisch-Partenkirchen
1485 kHz
300 W
on-the-air
Augsburg
100.0 MHz
15 kW
off-the-air
I remember listening to AFN Munich on a local transmitter while in Bad Tölz, so I believe there may have been a transmitter there as well, or perhaps it was just a good signal from the Garmisch-Partenkirchen outlet. In any event, I can’t find a reference to a station there.
AFN Frankfurt
AFN Frankfurt
AFN Frankfurt first came on the air in 15 August 1945 and signed off in October 2013 after the reduction of US troops in Germany.
Being on a relatively clear channel, they were an easy catch in southern Germany. This QSL was for a report of the 873 kHz channel.
AFN Frankfurt on 873 kHz is the only AFN station that I have also heard in here in Maryland.
AFN Kaiserslautern
This clip was recorded on our July 1989 trip. The program was from AFN Kaiserslautern and the transmitter was located in Karlsruhe (1143 kHz 1 kW). This transmitter is now off the air. Another AFN station is also heard on the clip underneath the stronger signal from Karlsruhe.
AFN Kaiserslautern
1143 kHz
Karlsruhe
June 1989
AFN Stuttgart
We heard this AFN outlet while driving on the nearby Autobahn on our June 1989 trip. They sent this full data QSL card in return for my reception report.
AFN Bonn
This is another AFN station that we heard on our July 1989 trip. I don’t think this outlet had its own local programming, but instead relayed programming 24 hours per day from AFN Frankfurt. They sent this QSL for my reception report to AFN Headquarters. The transmitter was located in Bad Godesberg.
